BHUBANESWAR l thursday l june 27, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE CITY EDITION Jaishankar flags India’s concerns over violence to Myanmar Dy PM The external affairs minister on Wednesday conveyed India’s ‘deep concerns’ over the impact of violence in Myanmar on the Indian border First engagement with senior junta leader Security sought for Indian projects Jaishankar’s meeting with Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister U Than Shwe in New Delhi is the government’s first publicly acknowledged engagement with a senior leader of the Myanmar military junta in India. Jaishankar told Shwe that the continuing violence in Myanmar has led to a rise in illegal arms and narcotics arriving at the Indian border ■ Jaishankar sought cooperation for the early return of about 100 Indians trapped in Myanmar’s Myawaddy town. Most of them fell prey to an international racket promising jobs in Myanmar ■ The minister also said he had pressed for credible security protection for India’s various ongoing projects in the strife-torn country 1,640 km is the length of India’s border with Myanmar 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 Birla stays in LS Speaker’s saddle Second presiding officer to get two terms after Balram Jakhar; elected by voice vote Delhi court sends Arvind Kejriwal to 3-day CBI custody S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Om Birla was on Wednesday elected Lok Sabha Speaker for the second consecutive term after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopted through voice vote. The Speaker election for the 18th Lok Sabha was keenly watched as it witnessed a rare contest between Birla and the Opposition INDIA bloc’s candidate Kodikunnil Suresh after both sides failed to ar rive at a consensus. Birla became the only presiding officer to serve two terms after Balram Jakhar. Protem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab made the announcement after the Opposition did not press for division of votes to the motion. While elections to the Speaker’s post were common before Independence, the position witnessed contests only thrice in Independent India — in 1952, 1967 and 1976. Three-term BJP MP Birla represents Kota in the Lok Sabha. NDA allies Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM-S), Prataprao Jadhav (Shiv Sena) and Chirag Paswan (LJP-RV) also moved motions in Birla’s favour. Shiv Sena (UBT) member Arvind Sawant moved the motion to elect Congress’ Suresh to the post. After the voice vote, Mahtab announced that all other motions, barring the prime minister’s, became infructuous. Birla’s election was a foregone conclusion as the NDA has 293 members as against the INDIA bloc’s 237 in the Lok Sabha. Congratulating Birla on his re-election, Modi expressed confidence that he will guide parliamentarians and play a big role in the House in fulfilling people’s expectations. In his speech, Birla said that in the last decade, the expectations, hopes and aspirations of the people have increased. “Therefore, it becomes our responsibility to make collective efforts to fulfil their expectations and aspirations effectively The 18th Lok Sabha is . the world’s largest celebration of democracy . More than 64 crore voters participated with great enthusiasm. On behalf of the House, I express my gratitude to them,” he said. Video grab of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in a rare handshake before escorting Om Birla to the Speaker’s chair, in New Delhi on Wednesday | PTI Massive Oppn protest after Chair’s Emergency rap Sharp statement P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi “The nation turned into a prison... Emergency brought with it anti-social and dictatorial policies that destroyed the lives of the poor, the Dalits and the deprived,” Speaker Om Birla said Soon after his election as Speaker, Om Birla on Wednesday sparked a row by reading out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency as an attack on the Constitution by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, triggering massive protests by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. “This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. We appreciate the determination of all those who opposed Emergency, fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting democracy. 5G spectrum auction fetches just 12% of targeted revenue R a ke s h K u m a r @ New Delhi Lukewarm response The Central government’s second 5G spectrum action on Wednesday saw subdued bidding by telecom companies, which collectively bid `11,340 crore for a total 141.4 MHz of airwaves. The bid value amounts to just 12% of the reserve price of `96,238 crore. The auction concluded in two days with seven rounds of bidding. Bharti Airtel emerged the top bidder by acquiring airwaves wor th `6,856.76 crore, followed by Vodafone Idea at `3,510 crore. India’s largest telecom operator Reliance Jio had deposited the highest earnest money of `3,000 crore but it bid only `973.62 crore to pick up additional spectrum. In the previous 5G spectrum auction held in August 2022, the This year’s auction included spectrum across various bands — 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz. However, telcos showed interest only in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2500 MHz bands government had fetched a record `1.5 lakh crore. The lukewarm response this time is attributed to the fact that most telecom service providers (TSPs), except Reliance Jio, participated in the auction mostly to renew their expired spectrums. Bharti Airtel, led by Sunil Mittal, acquired 97 MHz of spectrum to renew its expiring licences and also to bolster its mid-band spectrum holdings across select circles. Bharti Hexacom, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, acquired 15 MHz of airwaves for `1,001 crore. Vodafone Idea picked up 50 MHz spectrum across low band and mid band series (900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2500 MHz) in as many as 11 circles. Reliance Jio acquired additional spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in Bihar and West Bengal. The radiowaves on offer carry voice and data signals for mobile phones. “Spectrum auction 2024 was part of a continuous allocation process... TSPs have taken spectrum not only for continuity of service but for expanding their services but the volume is limited because already a large part of the spectrum required was auctioned only last year,” said Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. 25th June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India,” he said. The House was adjourned after chaotic scenes of protests and sloganeering by the Opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Speaker’s reference to Emergency. “The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like,” Modi said. For his part, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “What we saw was the Speaker unfortunately raising a matter that had not been discussed in the House and in a manner that came across as confrontational.” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was on Wednesday sent to three-day CBI custody by a local court after his arrest by the central probe agency in the excise policy case. The CBI, which produced Kejriwal in Rouse Avenue Court, sought five-day remand to interrogate him in the case, but Judge Amitabh Rawat ordered three days of custody Kejriwal . is in Tihar Jail over his alleged involvement in a money laundering case linked to the nowscrapped liquor policy The En. forcement Directorate had arrested him on March 21. After serving a production warrant late on Tuesday night, the CBI on Wednesday sought the court’s permission before formally arresting him in the case. There was high drama during the hearing in the courtroom, with Kejriwal himself addressing the court and saying he and other AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, were innocent. “I am innocent, my lord,” he told the judge. Rejecting the CBI’s plea that he had blamed Sisodia for the alleged scam, Kejriwal claimed that the central probe agency’s objective was to ensure that headlines in the media are manipulated. Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari, appearing for Kejriwal, submitted that the CBI has been acting in a biased manner. Chaudhari alleged that the CBI didn’t give any notice to Kejriwal and said the timing of his arrest shows it was illegal. CBI’s lawyer D P Singh said the liquor policy was revamped at the behest of the ‘South Group’ during the pandemic. express read 13 face partial loss of vision after cataract surgery at pvt clinic Sambalpur/Bhubaneswar: At least 13 people aged between 50 and 70 have reportedly experienced partial vision loss following cataract surgeries conducted last week in Angul. The affected persons were rushed to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences And Research (VIMSAR), Burla, for further treatment. According to reports, the 13 patients, including five women from Banarpal and Athmallik, underwent cataract surgeries at a private clinic in Angul on June 20. The surgeries were performed by a visiting doctor who conducts scheduled surgeries every Thursday at the clinic | P4 big tie Men in Blue seek final berth The Rohit Sharma-led side will take on England, the defending champions against whom they lost in 2022 T20 World Cup semifinals, in Guyana. A win on Thursday will take India to their first T20 WC final since 2014 | P11 TNIE rolls out ‘Ride Safe India’ campaign in Odisha E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Police personnel take out a bike rally as part of the Ride Safe India Campaign by TNIE and Hero MotoCorp at Commissionerate of Police headquarters in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday | DEBADATTA MALLICK TO raise awareness on the importance of wearing helmets and following traffic rules, The New Indian Express (TNIE) in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp rolled out the ‘Ride Safe India’ campaign here on Wednesday . As part of the pan-India campaign, distribution of free helmets and T-shirts along with bike rallies were held at various locations in state capital on the day . The event kicked off at Rasulgarh square with Transport commissioner and chairman of State Transport Authority (STA) Amitabh Thakur flagging off two separate bike rallies consisting of over 50 Zomato delivery partners and 100 NCC cadets. He also distributed helmets and T-shirts to the participants. Speaking at the event, Thakur informed that Odisha is among the top 10 states to record the most number of road accidents. “Out of total road accident-related deaths, at least 60 per cent fatalities involve twowheeler riders and in more than 90 per cent cases, the victims were found to be riding without helmets,” he said. The Supreme Court committee on Road Safety has identified Odisha as a focus state. However, the rate of increase in road mishaps in the state has come down. Accidents have witnessed a decline as good quality roads are being constructed in the state every year and new vehicles with enhanced safety features are getting launched, Continued on P5 he said. Majhi, Dy CMs rush to Delhi for meeting with PM E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and two of his Deputy Chief Ministers, KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida embarked on a fourday visit to Delhi on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be the maiden visit of Majhi to Delhi after assuming charge as chief minister of the first BJP government in Odisha on June 12. The Chief Minister and his two deputies rushed to the national capital after receiving a call from the of fice of PM Modi. Informing about the sudden visit to Delhi, Deputy CM Singh Deo told mediapersons, “I came to know from the office of the chief minister that he received a call from the PMO. The Prime Minister has desired to meet the CM and the two Deputy CMs. We are leaving for New Delhi this evening as the meeting with the Prime Minister has been fixed on Thursday .” An appointment has also been fixed for a meeting of the chief minister with President Droupadi Murmu. The two Deputy CMs may accompany the CM to the Rashtrapati Bhavan too. Responding to queries, Singh Deo said the Prime Minister is fully aware of the political situation of the state and he had made several promises to the people during his election cam- The Prime Minister has desired to meet the CM and the two Deputy CMs. We are leaving for New Delhi this evening as the meeting with the Prime Minister has been fixed on Thursday KV Singh Deo, Dy CM paign in the state. Possibly , the discussions will centre around development of the state and implementation of the promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto. The PM wishing to meet the CM and Deputy CMs ahead of the Rath Yatra and the monsoon session of the Assembly assumes significance as the upcoming car festival will be the first major event of the BJP government and smooth conduct of the festival will be a litmus test for Majhi. Fulfilling the poll promises is another challenge for the Majhi government as some of the commitments entail huge financial implications. Subhadra Yojana is one of the pledges of the saffron party which requires huge C provisioning. ontinued on P5
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