BENGALURU  THURSDAY  JUNE 08, 2023  `9.00  PAGES 18  LATE CITY EDITION 700 INDIAN STUDENTS IN CANADA FACE DEPORTATION OVER FAKE DOCUMENTS The students, most of them from Punjab, had moved to Canada in 2017-19 on student visas. Their admission letters were found to be fake TWITTER D16-20 LAKH PAID TO AGENT TO SECURE VISA CANADIAN OPPN LEADER PLEDGES SUPPORT The fraud was discovered in March, when the students applied for permanent residency in Canada. When the Canadian Border Service Agency perused the documents the students had submitted for their visas, it found the purported admission letters from Humber College in Toronto were fake. The students had paid D16-20 lakh each to a Jalandhar-based agent for moving to Canada ■ Once the students reached Canada, the agent told them to seek admission elsewhere saying Humber seats were full. He also returned some money ■ Meanwhile, Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre hit out at the Justin Trudeau-led government for the decision to deport the students. He said the students came in good faith and completed their programmes JUNE 13 WHEN THE DEPORTATION IS SET TO START, ACCORDING TO THE NOTICES TO STUDENTS 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 GST, I-T payers can’t avail Gruha Lakshmi Wrestlers put agitation on hold for a week EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru Anurag Thakur assures chargesheet in case against sidelined WFI chief by June 15 U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi TOP protesting wrestlers on Wednesday agreed to suspend their agitation after Union sports minister Anurag Thakur assured that the Delhi Police probe into charges of sexual harassment against sidelined Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will be wrapped up by June 15. “We had a very positive discussion with the protesting wrestlers... They demanded that the investigation be concluded and a chargesheet be filed by June 15. This demand was agreed by consensus,” Thakur said after having a sixhour-long discussions with the a wrestler delegation. This was the second meeting between the government and the protesting wrestlers within five days. The grapplers had met Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday night. On Wednesday top wrestlers , including Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik met Thakur and made five significant demands, including the appointment of a woman WFI chief and the scrapping of police FIRs against them for violation of law and order on May 28. “In the meeting, it was suggested by the wrestlers that the WFI elections be held by June 30 and an Internal Complaints Committee of WFI be formed that should be headed by a woman,” Thakur said, adding all of them were agreed. “Also, two names of coaches were suggested by the wrestlers who will be part of the ad-hoc committee for technical assistance,” he added. The minister said all decisions were taken unanimously , adding the wrestlers had also demanded the withdrawal of cases against various academies and sportspersons as well as not allowing Singh and his associates to participate in the election process. The government also agreed to the demand not to allow Brij Bhushan Singh, who has completed three terms as president, A chapter on RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, which was included in state syllabus during the last revision, will be dropped this academic year. This decision was taken at a meeting on educational reforms here on Tuesday by CM Siddaramaiah and School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa. ‘Dutch Nobel Prize’ for Indian-origin professor A G E N C I E S @ London INDIAN-ORIGIN professor Joyeeta Gupta is among the two scientists who have been named for the prestigious Spinoza Prize, also known as the Dutch Nobel Prize, it was announced on Wednesday. Gupta, the faculty professor of Sustainability and professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam, received the prize for her outstanding, pioneering, and inspiring scientific work in which she focuses on a just and sustainable world, the Dutch Research Council said. Gupta will be officially presented with the highest distinction in Dutch science on October 4 alongside Toby Kiers, another scientist chosen for the P9 award, the council said. Travis Head (left) and Steve Smith take a run against India in the WTC final match at the Oval on Wednesday. Head remained unbeaten on 146 and Smith on 95 at close of play on Day One. The two added 251 runs for the fourth wicket | AFP | P11 @ New Delhi Minister Anurag Thakur (L) after talks with wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia on Wednesday | PARVEEN NEGI and his associates to contest the forthcoming elections. Bajrang Punia, while speaking to reporters after the marathon meeting, said that he was satisfied with the outcome and has decided to suspend the protest till June 15. If the government fails to deliver on its promise, the protest could be resumed, Punia said. Significantly, double World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat, who had been spearheading the protest at the Jantar Mantar since April 23, skipped Wednesday’s meet. P7 Siddaramaiah and Madhu said steps would be taken to undo the changes done by the previous BJP gover nment while revising school textbooks and implementing the National Education Policy (NEP). After the meeting, Siddaramaiah directed the officials to form a committee to study and revise the chapters included in the textbooks by the P5 BJP government. A series of meetings held by the BJP brass here since Monday has set off speculation of an organisational revamp and a possible minor reshuffle in the Union cabinet before the departure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US. Some ministers could be dropped and given organisational responsibilities so as to prepare the party for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. If sources are to be believed, a rejig in the ministries of agriculture, aviation, finance, Jal Shakti, environment and climate change, power and rural Centre hikes kharif crop MSPs by 5-10%, `143 more for paddy J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi A day after removing the procurement ceiling for pulses under the price support scheme to encourage farmers to boost production, the Centre on Wednesday increased the minimum support price (MSP) of kharif crops. The latest move is to provide better remuneration to farmers and motivate them to diversify their crops. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Modi, approved revision in MSP for all mandated kharif crops grown in 2023-24 crop year and procured in Kharif marketing season (October-September). The decision comes in the backdrop of weaker monsoons and reduced sowing areas. For primary food crops such as paddy , the new MSP stands at `2,183 per quintal — an increase of `143 from the previous year. The MSP of moong has been increased by `803 to `8,558 and sesame by `805 to `8,635. The MSP for maize has been raised by 6.5% to `2,090 per quintal, tur/arhar by 6% to `7,000, urad by 5% to `6,950, groundnut by 9% to 6,377, sunflower by 5.6% to `6,760, and soybean by 7% to `4,600. However, the comparative data over the past 9 yrs show the rate of increment in MSP during NDA rule (2014-2023) is significantly lower than that of the previous 9yrs (2004-2013) under the UPA govt. These Bagalkot villagers getting free power supply for last 20 yrs EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE The power station at Shirol village. It is the only village in the state where people are getting electricity free of cost @ Belagavi RESIDENTS of Shirol village in Bagalkot district have been enjoying free electricity for the past 20 years when people of other parts of the state are now eagerly waiting for Congress government’s guarantee of free power up to 200 units a household. Incidentally, Shirol is the only village in the state where people are getting electricity free of cost, thanks to Raitha Sangha members, who along with villagers, staged an agitation and locked up government officials in a room in protest against power crisis at Shirol village 20 years ago. After the agitation, officials never collected power bills from the people of Shirol. Venkanna Malali of Shirol said people of his village faced severe power crisis till 2003. They depended on electricity to POWER SHOCKER COMING... Be cautious and start saving up to pay the electricity tariff for the months of June and July, before you avail of the Gruha Jyothi scheme. A week into June, consumers are yet to get electricity bills. Energy Minister KJ George said on Wednesday the delay in generating bills was because the department was calculating the amount based P2 on the revision in KERC orders. SPECULATION RIFE ON MINOR CABINET REJIG RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR Chapter on RSS founder to be omitted from state syllabus D O N N A E V A @ Bengaluru AUSSIES GET HEAD START THE State Government has issued detailed guidelines for the implementation of Gruha Lakshmi scheme (Rs 2,000 per month for every woman head of a family). Accordingly if a woman or , her husband comes under the Income Tax net or GST is not eligible for the scheme. Women having BPL/APL or Antyodaya cards are eligible. According to the guidelines, the beneficiary’s name should be mentioned as head of the family in BPL or APL or Antyodaya cards. People without these cards are not eligible. Eligible beneficiaries can submit their applications between June 15 and July 15. After July 15, beneficiaries will be selected. They will get money on August 15. It will be sent directly to their bank accounts. Women can apply through the Seva Sindhu portal or at authorised agencies. In case, applicants give false data, money sent will be taken back and action will be taken against them. Those applying for this scheme should have bank accounts linked to their Aadhaar. irrigate their crops. Because of the power crisis, they faced huge losses every year. With officials of the then Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB) not responding to their pleas for proper power supply, the villagers led by Raitha Sangha leaders staged a massive agitation in front of Shirol Gram Panchayat of fice in 2003. The enraged villagers locked up a team of officials, who tried to pacify them, in the P4 panchayat office. Shirol village faced severe power crisis till 2003. They depended on electricity to irrigate their crops. Because of the power crisis, they faced huge losses every year Venkanna Malali, a resident of Shirol village development is on the cards. The party’s senior leadership is learnt to have brainstormed on revamping BJP units in various states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Kerala. The party is also expected to soon announce the name of leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly. Incumbent Karnataka BJP chief Nalin Kateel has completed his term in office. As for poll-bound MP there is buzz over Union minister Pralhad Singh Patel being elevated as its state unit head. No free power if you reduce usage below 200 units now EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru FOR availing the benefits of Gruha Jyothi scheme, if you decide to drop your power consumption below 200 units this month, you will not be entitled for free power suddenly. The government will assess your monthly power consumption for 12 months before extending the scheme to you, according to Energy Minister KJ George. To avail this facility from August 1, people have to apply on Seva Sindhu between June 15 and July 5. George said if consumption is below 200 units, then the consumer will not have to pay fixed charges or even taxes. Officials said all calculations have been made and the bill will be Zero to consumers if their consumption is below 200 units, irrespective of the rise in power tariff. Accordingly some , consumers could get their bills for the month of June in July . George said the issue of including people living in rented houses, those who have purchased new houses and those who drop their power consumption, will be discussed at the cabinet and with the CM before making the final announcement. P4