BHUBANESWAR WEDNESDAY JULY 03, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 12 LATE CITY EDITION DEUBA, OLI STRIKE POWER-SHARING DEAL TO OUST NEPAL PM PRACHANDA Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have inked a deal to form a new ‘national consensus government’ to replace the coalition govt led by Prachanda CHINA’S MAN OLI TO BE PM FOR NEXT 1.5 YRS PRACHANDA NOT TO QUIT, FACE TRUST VOTE Under the deal, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba (78) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist chairman K P Sharma Oli (72) will share the PM post on a rotational basis. The two leaders will share the premiership for one-and-a-half years each. Under the deal, Oli, known for his pro-China stance, will lead the government in the first phase ■ Nepali Congress, the largest party in the House of Representatives (HoR), has 89 seats, while CPN-UML has 78 seats. Their combined strength is 167, which is sufficient for a majority of 138 seats in the 275-member HoR | P9 ■ Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda (69) has refused to resign, saying he will rather face a trust vote 13 NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTS NEPAL HAS HAD IN THE PAST 16 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 117 DEVOTEES DIE IN U.P. STAMPEDE SCORES INJURED IN MISHAP AT RELIGIOUS EVENT IN HATHRAS WOMEN, KIDS AMONG DEAD FIR REGISTERED AGAINST ORGANISERS N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow PAST STAMPEDES AT least 117 people, including women and children, died due to suffocation and fatal injuries after a stampede broke out at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district on Tuesday afternoon. Officials said the toll may go up as scores of people were seriously injured in the melee. The accident happened in Phulrai village of Ratibhanpur locality under Sikandrau tehsil area of Hathras district around 3 pm on Tuesday . According to Etah SP Rajesh Kumar Singh, as soon as the satsang (prayer meeting) got over, people who were packed in a small hall rushed out. They fell over each other, leading to stampede. Aligarh Range IG Shalabh Mathur confirmed 117 deaths, while unofficial reports put the number at 130. Police officials say a huge gathering of around 15,000 people had thronged the venue to attend the satsang held by Bhole Baba, a popular preacher who has followers in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. The venue was packed to the brim. “The number of attendees exHATHRAS ceeded the administration’s permitted limit at the venue, leading to a stampede during Bhole Baba’s satsang,” a statement by the state government UTTAR said. An FIR has been registered PRADESH against the organisers and the baba, Bodies of victims of the stampede lie in a bus, at Sikandra Rao in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday | PTI who is reportedly absconding. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi The district where WHO IS BHOLE BABA? Adityanath said the government will the stampede A former official with the intelligence wing of Uttar Pradesh Police, thoroughly investigate whether it was took place Suraj Pal turned Narayan Vishwa Hari Bhole Baba took voluntary a ‘tragedy or a conspiracy’ and take acMy thoughts are with retirement to pursue his spiritual call. He conducts weekly prayer tion against those responsible. He also conthose bereaved in Hathras. meets at various places every Tuesday, attracting many. Not a follower stituted a probe team comprising Additional Prayers with the injured. The UP govt of any guru, he claims to have got divine vision straight from God Director General of Police Agra zone Anupam is working to assist those affected Kulshreshtha and Aligarh Divisional CommissionPrime Minister Narendra Modi er Chaitra V to ascertain the reasons for the mishap. DIFFERENT VERSIONS ON HOW IT HAPPENED He has sought the probe report within 24 hours. The congregation was much bigger According to some reports, the tragedy may have happened when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an exthan what was permitted. In the devotees tried to get a glimpse of the Bhole Baba and collect some soil gratia compensation of `2 lakh to the family of the stampede, several women, children from around the baba’s feet. After the satsang ended, the baba got up deceased and `50,000 each to the injured. The Uttar and elders died to leave. The place where he sat is considered sacred by devotees. Pradesh government will also give similar compenMany devotees rushed to the spot to collect soil, leading to stampede sation to the victims. UP minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary PATCHY IN JUNE Monsoon covers India six days before schedule J I T E N D R A C H O U B E Y @ New Delhi THE Southwest Monsoon on Tuesday covered the entire country six days early of schedule, taking the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab in its sweep. This is the third consecutive year that the monsoon covered the entire nation on July 2 instead of the normal date of July 8. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reiterated its prediction that the country will receive above normal rainfall i.e. over 106% of long period average (LPA) between June-September. It is expected to boost sowing of Kharif crops and ease food inflation. The onset of the monsoon was early too. It arrived in Ker, ala on May 30, two days ahead of schedule. However, its journey so far has been haphazard. The country received 11% deficient rainfall in June, which was seventh lowest in the last 24 years. Its progression was normal in the first week of June but later it got subdued in the rest of the country except South India. During June, subdued rainfall was observed especially from June 10 to 18. Rainfall improved after June 19 and there was good precipitation from June 27 to 30. The delayed monsoon is in the range of 10-15 days in different parts of the East, Northwest and Central India. The Northwest recorded the highest deficit (-32.6%) in June followed by East and Northwest (-13.3%) and Central India (-13.2%). However, the Southern Peninsula received above normal rainfall (+14.2%). AUG 27, 2003: 39 dead during Kumbh Mela in Nashik JAN 25, 2005: 340 trampled to death at Mandhardevi temple in Maharashtra’s Satara AUG 3, 2008: 162 dead, 47 injured at Naina Devi temple in Himachal’s Bilaspur SEP 30, 2008 : 250 devotees were killed at Chamunda Devi temple in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur MAR 4, 2010 : 63 killed at Ram Janki Temple in UP’s Pratapgarh district JAN 14, 2011: 104 killed in a stampede when a jeep crashed into Sabarimala pilgrims at Pulmedu P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi NOV 19, 2012: 20 killed as a makeshift bridge caved in during Chhath Puja at Adalat Ghat in Patna OCT 13, 2013: 115 killed during Navratri festivities in MP’s Datia district JUL 14, 2015: 27 died at a major bathing spot at Godavari river in Rajahmundry, AP JAN 1, 2022 : 12 died at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K BJYM, NSUI WORKERS CLASH DURING PROTEST OVER RAHUL’S REMARK EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar WORKERS of BJP youth wing and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) clashed during a protest by the former against the alleged anti-Hindu remarks made by Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi during a debate in Lok Sabha, in front of the Congress Bhawan here on Tuesday . The incident took place when members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) were protesting the statements made by Rahul at Master Canteen square by raising slogans against the Congress leader. As the Congress Bhawan is located near Master Canteen square and there is huge poster of Rahul Gandhi in front of it, some protestors allegedly took shots at it using cow dung. Soon, NSUI workers who were inside the Congress Bhawan reached the spot and countered the BJYM members. A clash broke out between the two groups with both hurling stones and cow dung at each other, turning the area turned into a battlefield of sorts. A free-for-all continued till several platoons of police force were rushed to the spot. Senior officers including Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh arrived at Master Canteen square and brought the situation under control. The DCP told mediapersons that a BJP worker was injured in the clash. Adequate police force has been deployed to maintain law and order, he added. A BJYM worker alleged that NSUI activists first started throwing stones and cow dung at them following which they retaliated. Strongly criticising Rahul for his alleged statement against Hindus, he said the protest will continue across the state till the Congress leader took back his words. Meanwhile, BJP and Congress have lodged separate complaints with Capital police in this regard. After the BJYM workers left the place, Congress workers were seen cleaning the poster of Rahul in front of the Congress P3 Bhawan. Members of BJYM and NSUI face off during BJP’s protest over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, at Master Canteen, in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday | EXPRESS INDIA’S SUN-OBSERVING ADITYA-L1 COMPLETES FIRST ‘HALO’ ORBIT AROUND L1 On Tuesday, India’s Aditya-L1 solar observation spacecraft took 178 days to complete its first revolution around the L1 point Orbit around L1 is perpendicular to the Earth-Sun axis Lagrange Point-1 (L1) is between the Sun and Earth where the gravitational forces of both balance each other out through attraction and repulsion. It is 1.5 million km from Earth Modi rips Rahul with his balak buddhi barb To maintain this orbit around L1, it needed three thruster firings. With the third firing on Tuesday, Aditya-L1 has begun its second revolution around L1 | P5 IN a strong pushback against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s fiery speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the country would not forgive the Congress MP for centuries for his hurtful comments about ‘Hindus’. Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, the prime minister said, “People will not forgive them for centuries… Hindu is tolerant. A conspiracy was hatched to falsely accuse Hindus. It was said Hindus are violent. This is your character, thinking, and hatred.” Rahul had on Monday alleged that BJP leaders claim to be Hindus, but they talk only of violence and hatred. Many of his comments were later expunged by the Chair. In his more than two-hour-long speech, Modi repeatedly took potshots at Rahul and the Congress. Revised norms Asserting that the grand old party on oath taking delivered its third worst performance in the national elections and With AIMIM chief failed to reach 250-mark after the Asaduddin Owaisi’s 1984 polls, he said, “Country is tell- saying ‘Jai Palestine’ ing him that you are not up to it.” after taking his oath The Lower House saw utter cha- as a Lok Sabha os throughout the speech as the member, the Speaker Opposition staged protests and on Tuesday revised trooped into the Well, raising slo- the guidelines, barring MPs from adding any gans of ‘justice for Manipur’. Taking a swipe at Rahul, Modi words, expressions, called him balak buddhi (an adult prefixes or suffixes to with a child’s mind). “A new dra- the prescribed oath or ma has been carried out to gain affirmation in the sympathy. ‘I have been beaten’ Third Schedule | P7 etc.,” he said referring to Rahul’s charge that he was targeted in different criminal cases by the Central government. “The fact is he is on bail in a corruption case, was convicted for calling an OBC community thief, and had to tender an apology before the Supreme Court for speaking lies,” Modi said. This balak buddhi at times tries to hug someone in the House and sometime winks, he quipped. On the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, Modi said his government is taking steps on a war footing to prevent their recurrence, adding the guilty will not be spared. Arrests are taking place across the country he said. , BJP govt to evaluate BJD regime welfare plans HEMANT KUMAR ROUT @ Bhubaneswar THE new BJP government has decided to evaluate the flagship schemes implemented during the BJD regime and their respective agencies in the state. The impact assessment of the schemes will be conducted by inde pendent third par ty agencies. The BJD government had launched more than 60 new schemes in sectors like infrastructure, agriculture, rural development, health, education, connectivity water supply , and sanitation, social welfare, nutrition and disaster management. Huge investments were also made in various infrastructure projects to augment development and there has been increased resource allocation through budget provision. The evaluation of the schemes has been planned to assess the outcomes and impacts of such investments. Among the major schemes, Nua Odisha Nabin Odisha, Kalia, Free smartphone for women farmers, Biju Yuva Shashakt i k a r a n , M u k hy a m a n t r i Swasthya Seva Mission, Biju Gaon Gadi, Biju Krushak Kalyan, Biju Gram Jyoti, Biju Saharanchal Bidyutikaran, Green Mahanadi Mission, Mukta, Bayu Swasthya Seva, Mo Ghara and Mission Shakti Scooter had drawn criticism from various quarters. However, schemes like Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), Mamata, Biju Setu, Nirman Shramik Pucca Ghar, Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Yatra, Barishta Bunakar Sahayata, Ahaar, Basudha and SAMPurNA were appreciated by the beneficiaries. Not only the The BJD government had launched more than 60 new schemes in infrastructure, agriculture, rural development, health, education, water, etc. Sources state-funded schemes, a number of Centrally-sponsored schemes are also being implemented by different administrative departments. The drive to evaluate the outcomes of the welfare schemes will also include the central schemes. As part of the evaluation, sources said, the government will undertake assessments in various segments, including mid-term, end-term and concurrent evalu- ations besides the process evaluations, rapid assessment and impact assessments. The schemes divided in four broad sectors - general services, social services, economic services and cross cutting areas will be assessed. The government has already initiated a process for selection of independent agencies, including consulting firms, quasi-governmental or autonomous bodies, academic and research institutions of national repute for evaluation of the schemes. “The agencies will submit a detailed report for each scheme evaluated. It will help ensure accountability for the use of public resources, by using the evaluation results to make evidence-based decisions and improve programme design and implementation,” said the sources.
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