kozhikode l thursday l june 01, 2023 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION E1 lakh crore to create world’s largest grain storage capacity The Cabinet has cleared the proposal aimed at reducing crop damages, preventing distress sales by farmers & strengthening India’s food security Move to strengthen cooperative sector 2,000 tonne godown in each block The government is planning to create 700 lakh tonne of grain storage capacity in the cooperative sector over the next five years, said Union minister Anurag Thakur. This will help strengthen the country’s cooperative sector, as Primary Agricultural Credit Societies can diversify into the storage of food grains. The move is also expected to help create jobs in rural India, the minister added ■ A godown of 2,000 tonne capacity will be established in each block ■ Implementation of proposal will start within 45 days of Cabinet approval ■ Thakur said the country’s foodgrains production is around 3,100 lakh tonne, while the storage capacity is only 47% of the total output. He noted that in developed economies, the storage capacities are higher than output 2,150L tonnes projected level of India’s total grain storage capacity after 5 years 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 GDP data beats Rahul’s God quip to attack Modi forecasts, grows at 7.2% in FY23 P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi Expands 6.1% in Q4; analysts say too early to celebrate as consumption yet to pick up chance that India may exceed this number (FY24 estimate) india’s economy threw up a this fiscal,” he said. surprise in the fourth quarter The fourth quarter also saw of FY23 as the GDP grew at a ro- strong growth of 8.9% in infrabust pace of 6.1%, beating most structure investment and asset estimates. This resulted in a creation. However, private confull-year growth at 7.2%, sumption continues to exceeding even the govbe a drag as it grew ernment’s own estimate only 2.8% in Q4. Most of 7%. The higher-thanexperts also advise cauexpected growth in the tion, saying it’s too earfourth quarter was aidly to celebrate. ed by healthy growth in “We must abstain construction (10.4%), from reading too much hotel and transport into high frequency (9.1%), a g riculture growth numbers. ConThe 2022-23 (5.5%) and manufacturtinued fiscal and monGDP growth ing (4.5%) sectors. The etary policy coordinafigures economy had grown at tion is crucial,” said 4.4% in the third quar- underscore the Lekha S Chakroborty, resilience of the ter of FY23. professor, National InIndian economy For the current year stitute of Public Fiamidst global (FY24), RBI has projectnance and Policy Sunil . challenges ed a GDP growth rate Sinha, principal econoof 6.5%. Chief Econom- PM Narendra Modi mist at India Ratings, ic Advisor V Anantha said the road ahead Nageswaran said the country won’t be smooth if private concan look for another year of sumption does not recover fully . solid economic performance. ICRA’s Aditi Nayar projects a “Risks are more evenly bal- 6% growth of real GDP in FY24 anced now as envisaged four with a downside risk of 50 bps months ago. There is a good due to El Nino threat. M o n i k a Ya dav @ New Delhi Better NUMBERS 6.1% growth D43.62 lakh crore Q4 of FY23 D41.12 lakh crore Q4 of FY22 GDP at constant (2011-12) prices 10.4% growth GDP at current prices in Q4 of FY23 is pegged at E71.82 lakh crore against E65.05 L cr in Q4 of FY22 Thangal family member heads revolt in IUML E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Kozhikode Putting the IUML in a tight spot, the party’s late president Panakkad Syed Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal’s son has seized the initiative to address the shortage of Plus One seats in Malabar. The foundation in memory of the late leader, headed by his son Panakkad Syed Mueen Ali Shihab Thangal and K S Hamza, who was ousted from the Lea gue, met in Kozhikode on Tuesday and decided to approach the authorites, including the CM, to apprise and convince them of the gravity of the issue. They will also meet opposition leaders. The IUML, already on the backfoot, as it has failed to address the shortage of seats in Malabar despite holding the education portfolio for decades, has, so far, refrained from making any statements on the issue. IUML strongman P K Kunhalikutty is the bête noire of both Mueen Ali Thangal and ● More on P6 Hamza.  `25l Each to kin of doc, fireman Cabinet announces relief for family of slain doctor Vandana Das, and firefighter J S Renjith, who died in line of duty | P6 6.4% Fiscal deficit narrows Fiscal deficit narrowed to 6.4% of the GDP in 2022-23 from 6.71% in FY22 7.2% Growth in real GDP during FY23 is estimated at 7.2% compared to 9.1% in FY22 Real GDP or GDP at constant (201112) prices in FY23 is estimated to attain a level of E160.06 L cr, against first revised estimates of E149.26 L cr Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the diaspora at the US, drawing a sharp counterattack from the BJP . Addressing a gathering in San Francisco, Rahul sarcastically said there are people in India who think they know more than God and Modi is ‘one such specimen’. “We have a group of people in India who are absolutely convinced that they know everything. They think they know even more than God. They could sit down with God and have a conversation and explain to him what is going on. And of course, our prime minister is one such specimen,” he said. “I think if you sat Modi ji down next to God, Modi ji would start explaining to God how the universe works and God would get confused about what have I created,” Rahul quipped. In his pushback, Union minWe have a group of people who understand everything. They can speak to scientists and explain science to them... In life, you can’t understand anything if you are not ready to listen ister Anurag Thakur retorted that Rahul’s insult of India during his foreign visits was unacceptable. “He wants to insult Modi but ends up insulting India, questioning India’s progress. He is trying to defame India at a time the world is acknowledging our growing stature,” said Thakur. Rahul in his address also criticised the inauguration of the new Parliament building, saying, “These are distractions. The real issues are unemployment, price rise, spread of anger and hatred, crumbling education system, price of education, price of health care. BJP can’t really discuss them so then they have to do the whole sceptre thing.” Shah visits 2 more Manipur districts Strife pushes sport out of mind of top athletes P r a s a n ta M a z u m d a r @ Guwahati Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday visited Moreh in Tengnoupal and Kangpokpi — two of the violence-hit districts in Manipur — and held discussions with various organisations to restore normalcy . “Held a meeting with the delegations of Kuki and other communities at Moreh. They expressed strong support for the government’s initiatives to restore normalcy,” Shah later tweeted. This was his third day in Manipur. At both Moreh and Kangpokpi, he was accompanied by home secretary A K Bhalla and Intelligence Bureau chief Tapan Kumar Deka. Moreh has a mixed population of Tamil, Nepali, Bihari, Rajasthani, Bengali, Punjabi, besides Meitei and Kuki communities. Hundreds of people, holding the national flag, greeted Shah when he visited the two places. Kuki organisations reiterated the demand for ‘separate administration’ and the immediate withdrawal of police commandos from Moreh. In a F i r oz m i r z a @ Chennai Home minister Amit Shah meets Kukis at a relief camp in Kangpokpi | PTI memorandum, they further demanded that Meitei radical groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun be declared outlawed, citing their alleged involvement in the violence. The also sought a helicopter service from Moreh to Aizawl in Mizoram and Guwahati. A Kuki outfit claimed Shah positively responded to the demands on the withdrawal of police commandos and helicopter service. At both places, he appealed to people to maintain peace. Meanwhile, a civilian was injured in an exchange of fire between security forces and suspected militants in Imphal East district. Another gunfight was reported from Sugnu in Kakching district on Tuesday night. IN August last year, Likmabam Shushila Devi became the first judoka from India to bag multiple medals (both silver) at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. A year before that, she was the lone judoka from the country at the Tokyo Olympics. With big events like 2024 Paris Olympics lined up for the next couple of years, the 28-year-old should ideally be training. However, she is shuttling between home and a relief camp sheltering around 400 displaced people in her village Heingang Mayai Leikai, Imphal East (Manipur). Sport is not even on her mind right now. “How can we think of sports now? There are people here whose houses were burnt in front of them and their relatives killed. Hundreds of them have taken refuge in press camps. It’s been a month since the special ordeal,” Shushila told this daily . The relief camp set up at a community hall of a sports club has pregnant women and newborns. “Around 100 people sleep in a hall with hardly one fan in the heat. The summer means acute water shortage too. Somehow we are managing by donating foodgrain and helping them cook. But how long will it continue as even we will run out of stock someday said the judoka. ,” Another issue players are facing is lack of training. All the sports centres are shut. Bem Bem Devi, who went to meet Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday along with stars like Sarita Devi and Kunjarani Devi, said the situation is hurting athletes. “It is saddening because no sporting activity is going on. The Asian Games is coming up and preparation of every athlete here has been disrupted.”  P13 Monsoon may buck trend, more rain likely in 1st half U n n i k r i s h n a n S @T’Puram Bucking the trend seen since 2019, the first two months of the southwest monsoon in Kerala are likely to see more rain compared to the second half this year. Rajeevan Erikkulam, a meteorologist with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), said, “We have been seeing low rainfall in June-July period and more in August-September period since 2019. This trend is likely to be reversed this time.” The India Meteorological De- partment (IMD), which has predicted normal monsoon this year, had declared yellow alerts in all southern districts up to Ernakulam and also in Malappuram on Wednesday . The districts are likely to get isolated heavy rainfall between 65 and 115 mm. The situation is likely to be the same on June 4. Meanwhile, the recent pick-up in rain has raised hopes of a reversal of fortune in the state, which registered a staggering 34% pre-monsoon rain deficit in the crucial March● More on P6 May period.  Munde rap Probe against sidelined WFI chief on: Police U JWAL JALALI a n d Su d h i r Su r ya w a n s h i @ New Delhi/Mumbai The Delhi Police on Wednesday said its probe against sidelined Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a couple of sexual harassment cases is in progress, refuting reports in a section of the media that sufficient evidence was not found to arrest him. “The cases filed by women wrestlers are still under consideration. Status reports are being filed before the court regarding the investigation,” a senior Delhi Police official said. Curiously, the police had from its official Twitter handle stated that the media’s claims were wrong, but deleted that tweet. Singh is facing two cases of sexual harassment, one of them on a complaint by a minor, under the Pocso Act. But a man claiming to be the uncle of the minor victim sought to demolish her charges, alleging she was not a minor. He went on to accuse the agitating top wrestlers of using the minor to frame Singh. E X P R E S S R EA D Padmakumar, Shaik get DGP grade, new posts T’Puram: In a major reshuffle, two senior-most ADGPs have been promoted to DGP grade and appointed as heads of the Prisons and the Fire and Rescue Service departments. K Padmakumar is the new director general of the prisons department, while Shaik Darvesh Saheb has been named the DG of Fire and Rescue Services department | P6 Eminent scholar-writer Vellayani Arjunan dies A+ for effort Teachers of Government Model LP School in Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, are all smiles as they decorate classrooms to welcome students. Schools across the state will reopen on Thursday after the summer vacation | Vincent Pulickal T’Puram: Eminent scholar, linguist, academician and writer Vellayani Arjunan, 90, who brought the encyclopedia to the masses, died at a private hospital here following a brief illness. A Padma Shri awardee, Arjunan was also a recipient of four doctorates and three D-Litt degrees. He authored over 40 books in different genres | P7 Gyanvapi: Hindu women’s To be YC ‘performer’, submit proof of protesting plea maintainable, says HC g o i n g s e m i - c a dr e w a y ? AR U N M @Kochi The Youth Congress seems to have taken a cue from state Congress chief K Sudhakaran’s semi-cadre rhetoric. Now, one has to furnish proof of participation in agitations to enter the fray for YC official posts. It doesn’t stop there. One should have a proven track record of organisational, and needs to clear a preliminary interview. This was why many candidates carried a bundle of documents while appearing for the interview conducted by the youth wing of the grand old party at the Congress state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram recently . The papers included a detailed CV highlighting their performance in the past three years and also huge albums containing news clippings and photographs as well as details of cases registered against them for taking part in protests. Interestingly, the three-day interview that concluded on Tuesday was not for a specific post in YC, but for inclusion in the outfit’s performers’ list. Figuring in it is must to file nominations for election to select state office-bearers and district presidents. Certain eligibility criteria were fixed to shortlist candidates. These included age, position, previous work with the organisation, and participation in its programmes and protests. Though a similar interview was conducted in 2019, this is the first time it was done to select performers. YC national secretary Pushpalatha C B, who was on the interview panel, told TNIE that the election will be held as per schedule. “The interview for the performers is an internal matter. More details cannot be divulged,” she said.  ● More on P6 N a m i ta Ba j pa i @ Lucknow THE Allahabad High Court on Wednesday upheld the Varanasi district court’s order that the suit filed by five Hindu women seeking nod for daily worship of Goddess Shringar Gauri in the Gyanvapi complex was maintainable. The bench of Justice J J Munir had reserved its judgment after hearing both parties on December 24, 2022. The order came in a revision petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid (Gyanvapi mosque management committee) in October 2022 against the district court’s order of September 12, 2022. District judge A K Vishwesha had dismissed the committee’s objection under Order 7 Rule 11 of CPC. The judge observed the suit of the Hindu women plaintiffs was not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991, the Waqf Act, 1995 and UP Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act-1983, as was being claimed by the mosque committee.