HYDERABAD  WEDNESDAY  JUNE 07, 2023  `9.00  PAGES 16  LATE CITY EDITION MOSCOW, KYIV BLAME EACH OTHER AS UKRAINE DAM PARTIALLY DESTROYED EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS UNDERWAY Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the dam, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian military strikes for its collapse. It was not immediately clear whether either side benefits from it since both Russian- and Ukrainian-held territories are at risk of flooding. Russia and Ukraine have both begun emergency evacuations. Neither side has reported any casualties so far | P9 The Nova Kakhovka dam in Russian-controlled Kherson region in southern Ukraine collapsed on Tuesday, endangering the lives of thousands RESERVOIR CRUCIAL FOR COOLING N-PLANT million cubic metres of water. The dam also provides cooling water to the nuclear power station at Zaporizhzhia, which is under Russian control ■ Kyiv says the Dnieper River has been contaminated with 150 tonnes of industrial lubricants after the breach and more oil is likely to be leaked ■ The reservoir created by the Soviet-era dam on the Dnieper River holds 18 38,000 ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE EVACUATED FROM BOTH RUSSIAN AND UKRANIAN AREAS 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 Kishan plans Modi roadshow in Hyd to boost BJP EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad IF all goes according to Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy’s plan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be visiting Hyderabad later this month. Sources reveal that the Prime Minister’s itinerary includes a roadshow and a public meeting in the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency. While there has been no official confirmation from either the BJP State leadership or the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), insiders suggest that Kishan has been actively pursuing the idea of bringing EASE OF USE Portal for `1 L sop to BCs, OBCs goes live EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar on Tuesday unveiled the online portal for applications under the newly proposed grant of ` 1 lakh to BC and OBC beneficiaries in their pursuit of caste-based occupations. Scheduled to be officially launched on June 9 at Mancherial by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the programme will be simultaneously launched by Ministers, MLAs, and others in their respective Assembly segments. Giving details, Kamalakar said that individuals engaged in caste-based occupations could apply for the financial assistance, which would aid them in procuring essential tools, equipment, and raw materials. Interested beneficiaries can access the web-based application form at https:// tsobmmsbc.cgg.gov.in. Applicants are required to submit their Aadhaar card, caste and income certificates, and other documents through the web portal between June 6 and June 20. The selection process will take place from June 27 to July 4, with district officials responsible for scrutinising the applications and selecting eligible beneficiarCONTINUED ON P5 ies. INDIA GDP GROWTH ESTIMATE TRIMMED TO 6.3% The World Bank has cut its FY24 growth forecast for India by 0.3 percentage points, against 6.6% it estimated in January. It, however, noted there is an unexpected resilience in private consumption TALK OF THE TOWN  Kishan Reddy actively pursuing the idea of bringing the PM to his constituency.  There is no official confirmation from either the BJP TS leadership or the Prime Minister’s Office the Prime Minister to his constituency . This potential visit holds significance not only due to its timing but also because it aims to invigorate the party’s cadres following the recent setback in the Karnataka Assembly elections. The diverse electorate in the Secunderabad Parliamentary segment further adds to its importance. The Prime Minister’s previous visit to Hyderabad took place during the launch of the second Vande Bharat train connecting Secunderabad and Tirupati on April 8 this year. Since then, the BJP State leadership has been working tirelessly to uplift the morale of its members through various programmes. Against this backdrop, a visit by the Prime Minister carries substantial weight. Additionally, the visit aligns with the BJP’s efforts to incorporate ousted BRS leaders Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao into the party fold. It is reported that the Prime Minister himself has been actively advocating for their induction, further underscoring the significance of his potential visit. While the PMO is said to be considering Kishan Reddy’s request, an official confirmation of the visit is yet to be announced. Sources suggest that if the visit materialises, it is likely to take place sometime in June. BSF JAWAN SHOT DEAD IN FRESH MANIPUR VIOLENCE EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Guwahati DASHING hopes of an early end to violence in Manipur, militants fatally shot a BSF jawan and injured two Assam Rifles personnel in the wee hours of Tuesday at Serou in Kakching district. The slain soldier, Ranjit Yadav, was from the BSF’s 163rd battalion. He was injured in the gunfight with suspected Kuki insurgents and was evacuated to a local hospital where he was declared dead. The exchange of fire between the two sides took place in a school in Serou, officials said. Reports said suspected Kuki miscreants resorted to indiscriminate firing on BSF troops deployed at the Serou Practical High School around 4.15 am. According to a defence min- istry statement, additional troops were rushed to Serou and adjoining Sugnu following multiple incidents of violence, arson and firing in the past 48 hours. “As a result of extensive area domination operations by Assam Rifles, BSF and police, intermittent exchange of fire took place between security forces and the insurgents during the night of 05/06 June. Security forces took adequate measures to prevent insurgents from breaking contact and running away to nearby areas,” it said. Officials believe the insurgents would have suffered some casualties. Two AK series rifles, one 51mm mortar, two carbines, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered during preliminary search. The forces will continue operations till the entire area is sanitised. Tuesday’s incident comes after combined teams of Manipur police and paramilitary forces destroyed two camps of the militants at Sugnu and Serou in the past two days. There have been several incidents in the two places since May 28 when the militants came down the hill and opened fire on villagers. Nearly 100 people lost their lives in the ethnic violence so far. Internet ban extended till June 10 The Manipur government on Tuesday extended its ban on internet services till June 10. The suspension of mobile data services, including broadband, has been extended till 3 pm of June 10, an order issued by Commissioner (Home) H Gyan Prakash said. The ban was imposed on May 3 CBI team begins questioning Rly officials at site INDIA BEGIN THEIR LATEST QUEST TO WIN A GLOBAL CRICKET TITLE SINCE 2013. STANDING BETWEEN THEM AND THE HOLY GRAIL IS AUSTRALIA, FAMILIAR FOES. HERE’S A LOOK AT THE WORLD TEST CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL FROM THE OVAL... EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE INDIA’S MIDDLE-ORDER @ Hyderabad India head coach Rahul Dravid (left) during a practice session at The Oval Cricket Stadium on Monday | AP | FULL COVERAGE: P11 LEGACY QUESTION LYON VS JADEJA For a country that prides itself on their red-ball nous, winning this final would bookend their bilateral domination against almost all nations in the last years. It will certainly be the crowning glory in the careers of several players who are in the autumn of their careers Nathan Lyon has enjoyed a lot of success against India on the surface with bite and turn. Against this team in Australia, he averages well over 30 at a strike rate of over 60. The surface itself may not help spin that much over the first few days but this is a battle that could decide several pivotal moments CBI officials interact with RPF personnel near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district | PTI by negligence (Section 304A), acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention (Section 34), along with relevant sections of the Railways Act for endangering the lives of passengers through willful acts or omission (Section 153), rash or negligent acts (Section 154), and endangering the lives of government servants and the public (Section 175). Sources said the CBI team will examine all angles including negligence on the part of railway staff, mechanical error as well as conspiracy. It may meet DGP Sunil Kumar Bansal on Wednesday . This is not for the first time that CBI has been tasked to investigate a rail accident. In 2010, the Centre had ordered a CBI probe into derailment of Jnaneswari Express, which claimed 148 lives. The CBI had filed chargesheets against 23 persons for damaging tracks by removing pandrol clips. This had led to derailment. 3.00 PM, STAR SPORTS NETWORKS THE OVAL HYDERABAD police have booked four juveniles for attempting to cheat their way into a prestigious engineering institute by utilising smartphones during the JEE (Advanced) 2023 held on Sunday . According to the police, the mastermind is a top scorer in both the Andhra Pradesh Class 10 and 12 board exams who collaborated with his three friends in a bid to secure seats in the same institute. Although all four juveniles resorted to hiding smartphones inside their shoes or undergarments, only one was initially caught at the examination centre. His confession led to the police zeroing in on his three friends. Cases have been registered in Market, Na- charam, LB Nagar, and Malkajgiri police stations against them under the provisions of the Telangana Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices and Unfair Means) Act, 1997, and the IPC. According to the police, the four students, considered juveniles in conflict with the law, were assigned to separate examination centres across the city. Using smartphones, they shared answers to the JEE question paper among themselves. Police said that the first student was caught JEE key to future in tech The JEE serves as a crucial qualifying examination for admissions into the nation’s premier engineering institutes, and this year’s test was conducted on Sunday. POLITICAL sparring matches notwithstanding, there is a certain civility some top rung netas continue to observe. Take West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. If she does not miss any opportunity to go for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jugular, she also does not forget sending him an annual gift hamper of the choicest of mangoes. A decorated 4 kg box, with the tagline, “Best wishes from West Bengal Chief Minister SOUMYADIP SINHA red-handed by an invigilator while attempting to use a smartphone at an examination centre in Dilsukhnagar. Investigation unveiled a plot orchestrated by his accomplice, who is not only a top performer in both Class 10 and 12 but was also appearing for the exam at the SVIT centre in Secunderabad. All four boys were roommates in a hostel in Gachibowli. K Mamatha, sub-inspector with Market police station, gave details: “The juvenile who masterminded it created a WhatsApp group and shared his responses by capturing a photo of the computer screen. The remaining three boys then accessed the solutions remotely .” Notices under Section 41 of the CrPC have been served to the guardians of the juveniles, who are expected to be presented before the District Probation Office. AICC summons Telangana top guns for crucial meeting Didi keeps up her mango diplomacy with gift hamper to PM Mamata Banerjee”, comprising handpicked pieces of the king of fruits will be sent to the 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence of Modi in a day or two. Sources said the box will contain popular varieties like Himsagar, Fazli and Lakshmanbhog. Similar gifts from Mamata will reach the doorstep of President Draupadi Murmu and Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud as well. Though the Didi, as she is popularly known, has been sending gift hampers to Modi every year, its timing this year THE Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday said it has busted a major drug syndicate operating through the Dark Net and seized 14,961 LSD ‘blots’ worth about `10 crore in the international market. Six persons have been arrested in this connection. ‘Blot’ is a small piece of paper, half the size of a postal stamp, which makes it hard for authorities to track. It is used by peddlers and addicts for discreetly carrying and consuming the drug. “This operation marks the largest-ever seizure of LSD blots in a single operation within our country. Six individuals in their mid to late twenties have been arrested thus far, and we are actively pursuing another cartel,” said Gyaneshwar Singh, deputy director general (northern region), NCB. According to sources, the six arrested individuals consisted of students and young individuals seeking to earn “easy money” while maintaining anonymity . NCB sources said the seized LSD originated from Poland and the Netherlands and the syndicate trafficked it across various states, accepting payments in cryptocurrency and through UPI. The contraband was shipped using courier and postal networks. The NCB is currently working to freeze the associated crypto funds. EXPRESS READ ANNUAL GESTURE P R O N A B M O N D A L @ Kolkata EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE 4 juveniles booked for attempt to clear JEE (Advanced) using smartphones WTC Final: India’s big Test The last time India lined up with a 3, 4 and 5 of Pujara, Kohli and Rahane was in January 2022. Since then, Rahane was jettisoned off while the other two have struggled with inconsistency. Now, all three have scored some runs in different formats so there could be cause for some optimism NCB busts int’l drug syndicate, seizes 15,000 blots of LSD @ New Delhi A S I S H M E H TA A N D A M I T M U K H E R J E E @ Bhubaneswar/New Delhi THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday began its probe into the Bahanaga railway accident, one of the deadliest of train crashes in the country that claimed 288 lives and left more than 1,100 passengers injured on June 2. A team consisting of about eight CBI officers visited the accident site at Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Balasore district. It reportedly questioned a signalman and held discussions with Balasore GRP officers. The CBI officers collected information related to the mishap and shifting of dead bodies. The team spent more than an hour at the site. Sources pointed out that none of the railway staff on duty on the fateful evening are on the run and all will cooperate with the CBI. Earlier in the day the Special , Crime unit-I of the premier agency formally booked a case of criminal negligence based on the FIR registered by Government Railway Police (GRP). The GRP had not named any railway employee and said persons responsible for the accident will be identified during the course of investigation. The IPC charges filed by the CBI in the FIR include causing hurt by an act endangering life (Section 337 IPC), causing grievous hurt through rash or negligent acts endangering human life (Section 338), causing death DARK NET SALE is curious. For, less than 24 hours before the mango diplomacy she had launched a with, ering attack on the Centre for tasking the CBI with the probe into the recent Odisha rail accident that killed 288 passengers, alleging “this is not the time to suppress truth.” Mamata alleged that the accident took place because of railway negligence, adding had the anti-collision device — introduced during her stint as Union railway minister — been in place, the tragedy could have been averted. “The CM has launched a fullscale attack against the Centre. Let us now see if the national fruit can inject any sweetness in the state-Centre relationship,” quipped a senior Trinamool Congress leader. Another leader known for her mango diplomacy is Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina. She had sent 2,600 kg of the fruit two years ago as gift to Modi, Mamata and others. At an average production of 26 lakh metric tonnes, Bengal stands sixth in mango yield across the country . NARI SHAKTI Col Priyanka Singh assumed command of a frontline Divisional Army Service Corps Battalion in the Northern Command theatre on Tuesday, becoming the first Women Commanding Officer responsible for providing supplies and transport cover to soldiers Hyderabad: Following the party’s outstanding performance in the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress high command has shifted its focus to Telangana, where elections are imminent. It has called prominent leaders of the party from Telangana for a meeting to be held in Delhi on June 11 or June 12 | P4 ACB and Vigilance sleuths inspect Telangana University Nizamabad: Following complaints of financial irregularities, officials from ACB and Vigilance department visited the Telangana University on Tuesday. It is believed that they seized several important files. A stand-off between the Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Committee has rocked the varsity for months.