BHUBANESWAR l tuesday l june 25, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l JEYPORE EDITION Atishi’s fast enters day four, doctors say her health failing The Delhi water minister is on indefinite fast protesting the decline in water supply to Delhi from the neighbouring BJP-ruled Haryana Weight, blood pressure decreasing rapidly Atishi’s weight and blood pressure are decreasing rapidly, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said in a statement. “Doctors have described the speed at which her blood sugar level, blood pressure and weight have decreased as dangerous,” the party said. Atishi, however, has refused to be admitted to a hospital, saying she will continue with her fast until Haryana releases water ■ 2.2 kg Delhi cabinet ministers write to Modi ■ Delhi cabinet ministers on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to resolve the water crisis on priority Delhi’s water requirement is 1,005 million gallons per day (MGD). About 613 MGD comes from Haryana. The ministers, in their letter, said there has been a 100 MGD drop in water coming from Haryana drop in Atishi’s weight in four days, claims aam aadmi party 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 No more issue-based support, BJD to take on Oppn role in Parl b i j ay c h a k i @ Bhubaneswar Videograb of Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking his oath as a member of the House during the first day of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, in Delhi on Monday | PTI Drama, fireworks on Day I PM, 279 others sworn in as members of 18th Lok Sabha; Modi, Kharge spar on Emergency Pree t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The opening day of the special session of the 18th Lok Sabha witnessed dramatic scenes on Monday as opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, waved copies of the Constitution when Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked up to take his oath as a member of the House. Apart from Modi, several Cabinet ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, celebrities like Kangana Ranaut and 16 from NDA ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) took their oaths. While 280 members were sworn in on Monday, the rest, including Rahul, will be take their oath on Tuesday . The country’s linguistic diversity was on display as MPs took their oaths in languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Dogri, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati and Odia, apart from English. In his pre-session remarks, Modi took a swipe at the Congress over the Emergency call, ing it a black spot on democracy when the Constitution was discarded. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was equally pungent in his response, accusing Modi of imposing an undeclared Emergency in the country in the last 10 years. The session began on a com- bative note with the boycott by three Opposition MPs from a panel to assist pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. The Opposition was up in arms against the government for ignoring eight-term Lok Sabha member Kodikunnil Suresh for that post. President Droupadi Murmu had appointed a panel comprising K Suresh, TMC’s Sudip Bandopadhyay and DMK’s T R Baalu along with two other BJP MPs to assist Mahtab. However, the three Opposition MPs refused to be a part of the panel on Monday morning. Most of the Congress MPs held a copy of the Constitution while taking their oath. Rahul sat along with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad in the front row on the Opposition side. The BJP poked the Congress with party chief J P Nadda writing to Kharge, questioning the “stoic silence” of his party on the recent hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu. The coming days of the session are likely to see a belligerent Opposition taking on the NDA government on several issues, including the NEET-NET exam paper leak row, three criminal laws, Manipur violence and the recent train accident. Oppn against Birla, NDA call on Speaker today R AJ E SH KUMA R THAKU R @ New Delhi THE Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to announce its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post on Tuesday hours before the nom, ination of candidates for the key post starts. According to highly placed sources, the NDA suggested the name of Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha, as a consensus candidate for the Speaker’s position but did not get support from the Opposition parties. Sources said Birla being the first choice is in line with the Narendra Modi-led government’s theme of continuity in its third term. While there is no official word yet from the NDA side on the consensus bid, BJP sources said three more names are being considered. “If everything goes as per plan and the Opposition doesn’t oppose the continuation of Om Birla, the possibility of Birla’s continuation is high. In case of disagreement, the BJP’s East Champaran (Bihar) MP Radha Mohan Singh or the MP from Pali constituency (Rajasthan) P P Chaudhary might be announced as the NDA’s candidate for LS Speaker,” said a senior BJP source. The name of Andhra BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari is also doing the rounds. Chaudhary is a senior lawyer also and chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Jan Vishwas Bill 2022. He had earlier served as MoS in the Ministry of Law and Justice in 2019 and MoS in the Ministry of Electronics and IT in 2017. He was also honoured with the Sansad Ratna award twice in 2015 and 2016. Both Choudhary and Singh are experienced in Parliamentary affairs and enjoy rapport with the Opposition parties. Purandeswari is the sisterin-law of TDP chief and Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The Lok Sabha Speaker’s election will take place on June 26. Two killed, as many injured in mishap at Rungta steel plant in Dhenkanal E x p re s s Ne w s Ser v i c e @ Dhenkanal Previous regime conspired to eliminate me: Majhi Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Monday claimed the previous BJD regime had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him as he exposed loot of minerals from Keonjhar district | P4 Two contractual workers were killed and as many injured after a 10 metre high structure collapsed at the direct reduced iron (DRI) section of Rungta Mines Limited (Dhenkanal S t e e l P l a n t ) o n M o n d ay morning. The deceased were identified as Vivekananda Sahoo (35) of West Medinipur and Bishnu Majhi (40) of Howrah in West Bengal. The workers who sustained injuries in the mishap are Naba Samanta (25) and Amul Bora (30) of West Bengal. They were initially admit- ted to a local hospital and then shifted to a private hospital at Cuttack. As per sources, the mishap occurred at the DRI below kiln number 8 at around 8.15 am. Kiln number 8 has a base at an approximate height of 10 metre. While around 15 to 20 people were working at the site, the base platform suddenly collapsed killing two on the spot and injuring another two. It is alleged the iron structure of the platfor m was not maintained properly . The mishap led to resentment among locals who staged an agitation outside the plant. They demanded compensation of `50 lakh and a job for the victim’s kin. They also demanded implementation of proper safety measures and action against those responsible for the mishap. Hindol sub-collector Sibanada Swain said the two contractual workers from West Bengal died on the spot and another two were seriously injured. Swain along with Dhenkanal additional SP Suryamani Pradhan, Hindol SDPO Deepak Jena and Odapada tehsildar rushed to the spot to paciC fy the agitators. ontinued on P5 The bridges seem to have been burnt between the BJD and BJP post elections. Following the debacle in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the regional outfit has decided to shed its 10-year-long policy of issue-based support to the BJPled NDA government at the Centre and play the role of Opposition. Former chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Monday said that the party will be a very strong and vibrant Opposition in Rajya Sabha and make the Centre accountable on all issues. The BJD for the first time since its formation in 1997 has no MPs in the Lok Sabha. Presiding over BJD’s parliamentary party meeting ahead Naveen Patnaik after the meeting with BJD RS MPs at Naveen Niwas | Express of the Rajya Sabha session, Naveen asked his nine MPs in the Upper House to be the voice of 4.5 crore people of Odisha and be a very strong and vibrant Opposition. He asked them to raise all issues pertaining to the state’s development and welfare of the people of Odisha. “Many just and rightful demands of Odisha have not Police hint at security lapse in NEET paper delivery in Jharkhand E x p re s s Ne w s s er v i c e @ New Delhi /Patna/Ranchi even as the CBI took over five new cases of alleged malpractices in NEET-UG in Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan, Bihar police on Monday said the question paper could have been leaked during its transportation in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh. According to a senior official with Bihar police’s economic offfences wing, the question paper could have been leaked either during its transportation from the courier company to the main branch of the State Bank of India or from the bank to Hazaribagh’s Oasis School, where the test was held on May 5. The question papers were stored in the SBI locker. Meanwhile, the CBI on Monday took over five new cases that were being investigated by police in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar. On Sunday it regis, tered its own FIR in connection with the alleged irregularities in the exam. In a separate development, the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police arrested a Zilla Parishad school teacher Revert to old system, Mamata tells Modi West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urged PM Narendra Modi to consider abolishing NEET, the national-level medical entrance exam introduced in 2013, and reverting to the system of states conducting the exam from Latur and registered a case against four persons for running a racket to help NEET students willing to pay money to crack the exam. Officials said the CBI has reregistered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIR, while it is also likely to take up the case from Latur. After taking over these new cases, the CBI is now probing six cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, the officials said. Barring the case from Bihar, the other four appear to be isolated incidents of impersonation and cheating by local officials, and candidates, officials added. NSUI activists stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Monday | Shekhar Yadav been met. We must ensure that those demands are met in right earnest by the Centre,” he said. Senior Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra told mediapersons after the meeting that if necessary the party MPs will protest and even go to the well of the House in the interest of Continued on P5 Odisha. price surge Centre imposes stockholding limits on wheat J i t e n d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi The Centre on Monday imposed a stock limit on wheat to reduce hoarding of the grain and stablise its prices. The stock limit will apply to all wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors in all states and Union Territories until March 31, 2025. The stock limit for traders or wholesalers is 3,000 metric tonnes (MT). For retailers, it is 10 MT for each of the outlets while for big chain retailers, it is 10 MT at each of their outlets and 3,000 MT at all their depots. For millers and processors, the stock limit is 70% of the monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months of FY 2024-25. “The government is open to all options if the stock limit would not cool down the price such as by reducing import duty and would soon think to dump wheat in the open market through open market sales scheme,” said Sanjeev Chopra, secretary Department of Food , and Public Distribution in the consumer affairs ministry . The minimum support price of wheat is `2,275, but the grain’s price in the open market is hovering around `2,500. Chopra dispelled worries about supplies. The stock limit comes amid claims of bumper production of the grain in the current Rabi Marketing Season. “I want to dispel the shortage of wheat in the country ... we want prices of wheat to be stable,” Chopra said. He added that the decision was taken to prevent market speculations and hoarding of the grain. Puri Rath Yatra Chariot pulling to start at 5 pm on July 7, conclude on July 8 d i a n a s a h u @ Bhubaneswar Carpenters busy making chariots for the Holy Trinity ahead of Ratha Yatra at Puri, on Monday | Ranjan Ganguly PULLING of the three chariots of the Trinity - Nandighosha, Taladhwaja and Darpadalana will be done at 5 pm on July 7. This was decided at the Shree Jagannath temple’s Chhattisa Nijog meeting in Puri on Monday . With Netra Utsav, Nabajaubana and Rath Yatra falling on the same day it was decided in , the meeting that ‘agyanmala’ for the car festival will be brought from Pati Dian and not Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra. The ‘agyanmala’ and other rituals of the annual festival will be done as per the 1971 Rath Yatra schedule when last such arrangement was done in view of a specific celestial arrangement. On July 7, temple rituals will start with ‘Mangal Alati’ at 2 am and ‘Netra Utsav Bandhapana’ would be performed at 4 am. Similarly, Daitapati servitors will carry out ‘Chhenapatta Lagi Seva’ (fixing of body armour on the deities to bear the stress during ‘pahandi’) from 7.30 am to 12 pm. At the same time, ‘Ratha Pratista’ will be performed at 11 am and the deities will be brought out of the sanctum sanctorum in the ceremonial ‘pahandi’ to their respective chariots from 1.10 pm and 2.30 pm. Puri king Dibyasingha Deb will perform ‘chhera pahanra’ of the three chariots at 4 pm. Devotees will start pulling the chariots at 5 pm. Members of the nijog said usually pulling of chariots be, gins at 3 pm but in view of this Usually, pulling of chariots begins at 3 pm, but in view of this year’s Rath Yatra, the Daitapatis have been requested to finish all the rituals by 4.30 pm so that pulling can begin by 5 pm – Chhattisa Nijog member year’s special circumstances, the servitors have been requested to finish all rituals by 4.30 pm so that pulling can begin by 5 pm. “Chariots are not pulled after sunset. If they do not reach Gundicha temple by then, pulling will resume on July 8,” said a member. Chief administrator of the temple Vir Vikram Yadav said the Chhattisa Nijog has cleared the Rath Yatra schedule and it will be approved by the temple managing committee on Tuesday “We are hoping that with . the blessings of the Trinity and cooperation of all servitors, Rath Yatra will be conducted smoothly he added. ,”
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