tirupati l sunday l july 07, 2024 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION rEFORMIST MASOUD pEZESHKIAN WINS iRAN’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Pezeshkian scored over other hardline candidates by promising to reach out to the West, ease enforcement on headscarf law new leader comes with no experience will not have sway over foreign policy Pezeshkian secured 53.3% of the votes polled while his nearest hardline rival Saeed Jalili got 44.3%. Pezeshkian is a heart surgeon and a member of Parliament. He is considered inexperienced as he has never held any sensitive post before. After the victory, he tweeted, “The difficult path ahead will not be smooth except with your companionship, empathy, trust” ■ Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a Tehran-based analyst, told Al Jazeera he was not expecting strategic changes to Iran’s foreign policy, which is decided by the entire establishment, the supreme leader and the Parliament | P9 ■ PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “Looking forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship ... ” 30m voters the lowest turnout for the presidential polls historically 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 Starmer ready for Panel set up to resolve TG-AP disputes FTA that works for India and UK After Bhatti’s proposal, CMs of Telugu States decide to form committee with top officials MA N D A RAVI N D ER RE D D Y @ Hyderabad Y e s h i S e l i @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi decision time FM to present full yr budget on July 23 Express News Service @ New Delhi Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the government’s first full year budget of Modi’s third term on July 23 in Lok Sabha. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted on Saturday that the budget session will be held between July 22 and August 12. Expectations about the budget are running high as President Droupadi Murmu in a joint address to Parliament said it will be marked by many historic steps, adding the budget will highlight major social and economic decisions. Only an interim budget was presented in February due to the Lok Sabha polls. The first session of Parliament after the formation of 18th Lok Sabha was stormy as the Opposition, armed with more numbers in the Lower House, clashed with the gover nment over a range of issues. NDA’s key ally Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Modi on Thursday and sought the Centre’s handholding to pull the State out of the financial black hole it was pushed into by the previous government. Another important ally Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also wants special status for his State. The buzz in political circles is that the budget may focus on the rural population. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Soft line on Kashmir On Kashmir, Starmer has said his party was committed to eliminating any extremist views that could strain UK-India relations. He also promised a stricter handling of anti-Hindu hate crimes in the UK. While visiting Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury, he had said there was absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke with his new British counterpart Keir Starmer, invited him to visit India, and suggested the early conclusion of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that has been under negotiation for over two years. “Pleased to speak with Keir Starmer. Congratulated him on being elected as the PM of UK. We remain committed to deepening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and robust India-UK economic ties for progress and prosperity of our peoples and global good,” Modi said in a post on X. He also suggested that Starmer schedule an early visit to India. Downing Street said Starmer returned the compliment by congratulated Modi on his third consecutive term as PM. “Discussing the importance of the living bridge between the UK and India and the 2030 roadmap, the two leaders agreed that there was a wide range of areas across defence and security, critical and emerging technology and climate change for the two nations to deepen their cooperation,” the Downing Street spokesperson said. As for the FTA, Starmer said he stood ready to conclude a deal that “worked for both sides. The leaders hoped to meet at the earliest opportunity the spokesperson said. Both sides ,” have been working towards clinching the FTA since January 2022, when Boris Johnson was PM. “Appreciating the positive contributions of the Indian community in the social, economic and political development of the UK, the two sides agreed to continue to promote close people to people ties,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. The Labour’s manifesto had said: “We will seek a new strategic partnership with India, including an FTA, as well as deepening cooperation in areas like security education, tech, nology and climate change.” New British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said he wants to ‘finish the job’ on the FTA and plans to visit India within the first month of being elected. The sentiments of the people of both states are very sensitive. Let’s respect their sentiments and move forward. Then the people of both states will respect us Let’s take decisions that are acceptable to the people of both states. Let us resolve the problems that has been pending for 10 years through discussions There are good rulers in both AP and TG Something good will happen in both states Let’s talk to the Centre about the Krishna River water dispute. Give the five villages to TG I have worked hard for the development of Telangana as CM in the past. Now, I wish for the development of both states – Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra CM Drugs have become a big menace in both states. Before both states become similar to Punjab, we should act strictly – Revanth Reddy, Telangana CM d e l eg a ti o n s Andhra Pradesh Telangana n CM Chandrababu Naidu n Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad n Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh n Roads and Buildings Minister BC Janardhan Reddy n Chief Secretary Neerab Kumar & other senior officials n CM Revanth Reddy n Dy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka n IT Minister D Sridhar Babu n Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar n Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari n Adviser to government KS Sreenivasa Raju & other senior officials Case booked against Kodali Nani & Ex-MD of APSBCL Express News Service @ Vijayawada Building collapse A six-storey building collapsed in Surat on Saturday afternoon, killing one person and leaving 3-4 persons trapped under the rubble. A woman was rescued. Search and rescue operation are on in the building which was constructed in 2016-17 | PTI Main accused gives up, Baba expresses grief over stampede deeply saddened. May God give us the strength to bear this While Devprakash Madhukar, pain,” he said. the main accused of Hathras An FIR was lodged in the stampede, surrendered to the matter on July 2 under various Delhi Police late on Friday sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya night and was taken Sanhita. However, Bhole into custody by the UP Baba was not named in Police, the self-styled the FIR. godman Bhole Baba aliDev Prakash Madhuas Narayan Sakar Hari kar, the mukhya sevaalias Suraj Pal, exdar of Bhole Baba, is pressed grief over the the only accused named tragedy at an event at in the FIR. Hathras SP his Satsang Sabha. Nipun Agarwal said Devprakash Four days after the Madhukar was arrest Madhukar stampede, the preacher from Delhi and brought on Saturday told a news to Hathras to be preagency he hoped strict action sented in court. would be taken against the culIn a recorded message, Madprits. Speaking from his Main- hukar’s lawyer AP Singh said puri Ashram, Bhole Baba urged that his client had surrendered the bereaved families to have in Delhi, where he was under faith in the judiciary. “I am treatment. N a m i ta B a j pa i @ Lucknow Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad on Saturday The chief ministers of the Telugu states, A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu, on Saturday decided to constitute a high-level committee with chief secretary-rank officials to deliberate and find solutions for pending disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Welcoming Naidu to Hyderabad’s Praja Bhavan, Revanth gave him ‘Naa Godava’, a book written by the famous Telangana people’s poet Kaloji Narayana Rao. The delegations led by the chief ministers then discussed the unresolved disputes between the two states at a meeting that went on for an hour and 45 minutes. Sources said that during the meeting, Naidu requested the Telangana government to allot a few buildings in Hyderabad to AP but Revanth is said to have not agreed to it. Immoveable assets in the city belong solely to Telangana, he is believed to have told his Andhra counterpart. The CMs are also said to have disagreed over pending power dues. While Telangana says AP has to give it `24,000 crore, Andhra claims that it has to receive `7,000 crore. When Naidu brought up the topic and asked Telangana about the power arrears, Revanth replied that it is Andhra that should pay the dues, sources said. But it was not all disagreements with the CMs finding some common ground too. If sources are to be believed, the Andhra CM is said to have agreed to the merger of five villages near Bhadrachalam, now part of Andhra, with Telangana. Express read Power bills can no longer be paid via UPI apps Vijayawada: The Energy Department has urged consumers to download APCPDCL/APEPDCL/ APSPDCL Consumer app or utilise their website to pay electricity bills. Under the directives of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), APCPDCL has been removed from PhonePe, Google Pay, PayTM and other UPI applications from July 1 Minor girl stabbed to death in Anakapalle Visakhapatnam: A 14-year-old girl studying 9th grade was fatally attacked with a knife by a young man in Koppigondapalem village of Rambilli Mandal in Anakapalle district on Saturday. The girl died on the spot. The accused, identified as Suresh, fled from the scene. Special teams have been deployed to nab Suresh | P3 Gudivada police on Saturday registered a case against D Vasudeva Reddy former managing , director of Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL), K o d a l i S r i Venkateswara Rao ( N a n i ) , G u d iv a d a former MLA, and Madhavi Latha, for mer Krishna district joint collector, on Saturday . Gudivada police registered an FIR under IPC Sections 448, 427, 506 read with 34, following a complaint lodged by Duggirala Prabhakar. The complainant, whose fam- ily owns a liquor godown in Gudivada, alleged that his business suffered severe losses and his mother died because of Vasudeva Reddy . In his complaint, Prabhakar said he had obtained a work order, under his mother Duggirala Seetha Mahalakshmi’s name, in 2011 to lease out his family’s godown, measuring 21,953 sq. ft, for liquor storage at a cost of `4.50 per sq. ft. He had been renewing the work order every two years. When YSRC came to power in 2019, the APSBCL renewed the agreement up to 2021 and increased the cost to `6 per sq. ft, P4 he added.  Jagan accuses TDP of attacking YSRC supporters, creating fear psychosis E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kadapa Accusing Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of engineering and encouraging attacks against YSRC supporters, party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the government of creating an atmosphere of terror in the State. The former chief minister visited RIMS Kadapa on Saturday and met Ajay Kumar Reddy , a 25-year-old youth who was hospitalised after allegedly being attacked by TDP men. Jagan said Ajay was attacked just because he voted for the YSRC and supported the party . Condemning the attack, Jagan reiterated that the TDP-led NDA government was resort- YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Ajay Kumar Reddy, who was admitted to RIMS Kadapa after allegedly being attacked by TDP men, on Saturday | Express ing to a vicious culture of attacking rivals physically and mentally Charging the yellow . party with creating a fear psychosis, he said, “People have never been attacked before for voting for someone else. Such a culture has been alien to Pulivendula.” He demanded Naidu to direct TDP party supporters and cadre to desist from attackP4 ing rivals. What the two states have agreed on publicly n  decide to set up high-level CMs panel with CS-rank officials n  members from each state Three to be part of panel. First meeting within two weeks n there is no resolution, disputes If to be discussed at ministers-level committee to be formed later n  tackle issue of drugs,states to To also form coordination committee with TG Anti-Narcotics Bureau additional DG & his Andhra counterpart What sources said n  Andhra to give five villages near Bhadrachalam — Etupaka, Purushottamapatnam, Kannyigudem, Picchukalapadu and Gundala — to TG. For this, both CMs will write to Union Home Ministry to amend APRA n  Disagreement over power dues persists n  Revanth no to Andhra request for buildings in Hyd For this, the CMs have decided to write a letter to the Union Home Ministry to amend the APRA. The five villages are Etupaka, Purushottamapatnam, Kannyigudem, Picchukalapadu and Gundala. After the meeting ended, Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Andhra Revenue Minister Anagani Satya Prasad briefed the media. When asked about the merger of the five villages with Telangana, Bhatti Vikramarka said that many issues were discussed during the meeting. He added: “We know that issues that have been pending for a decade cannot be resolved in one meeting. This is the first step. Pending disputes between will be resolved keeping the interests of Telangana CONTINUED ON P4 in mind.”  WITH THIS ISSUE Small is the New Big PLUS 12 PAGES NEET-UG counselling by third week, says ministry Express News Service @ New Delhi July 6 was a contentious date in all NEET-UG case hearings before vacation benches because that was when the National Testing Agency had told the Supreme Court it intended to start counselling for admission to medical courses across the country . The court had rejected all petitions demanding a stay on counselling till the case on the alleged malpractices in NEETUG is disposed of. Even requests for a two-day stay till July 8, when a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud will begin hearing a batch of petitions demanding scrapping of the exam, were turned down. July 6 came and went but the counselling didn’t start. Turns out that its schedule hasn’t even been notified yet by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).