BHUBANESWAR  WEDNESDAY  SEPTEMBER 04, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 12  JEYPORE EDITION BENGALURU FIRM TESTS INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS COMBAT DRONE Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace announced the successful maiden flight of indigenous unmanned bomber aircraft, the FWD 200B ARMED WITH MISSILE-LIKE WEAPONS CAN FLY NON-STOP FOR 7 HRS; UP TO 800 KM Classified as a Medium Altitude (15,000 feet) Long Endurance Combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, FWD 200B is equipped with optical payloads for surveillance and missile-like weapons for air strikes and bombing, the firm’s founder-CEO Suhas Tejaskanda said. It has a wingspan of 5 metres, length of 3.5 metres, maximum take-off weight of 102 kg & payload capacity of 30 kg ■ The drone can fly at a cruise speed of 152 km per hour, with a maximum speed of 250 km per hour. Its runway requirement is just 300 metres allowing it to operate from shorter airstrips, the company said ■ With an endurance of 7 hours and a range of 800 km, FWD 200B doesn’t need frequent refuelling or landing, Tejaskanda said 12,000 sq ft AREA OF THE FIRM’S STATE-OF-THE-ART MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN BENGALURU 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 KOLKATA’S STUNNING TAHRIR SQUARE MOMENT I T was Kolkata’s own Tahrir Square moment, its own Shahbagh. Actually let me revise that. I , watched Tahrir Square very closely on TV I saw . Shahbagh with my own eyes, having had the opportunity to report on that movement in Dhaka. But Kolkata today is perhaps even more extraordinary All of Kolkata . today became the hallowed ground of the most astonishing people’s protest ever. In the 77 years of its Independence, I dare say India has not seen anything like it. With a grating, metallic screech, the nine-foot-high m e t a l b a r r i c a d e s we re dragged aside this afternoon by policemen on the narrow BB Ganguly Street. The road leads to Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters. Rising over the cacophony were the strains of We Shall Overcome, the American civil rights song, and the Bengali anthem of protest, Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Karar Oi Louho Kopat Bhang — break down the iron gates of prison. The singers, all junior doctors who had been camping at the location through rain, shine and a hot muggy night for last 22 hours, gathered to MONIDEEPA BANERJIE Veteran journalist demand justice for their colleague, raped and murdered in their hospital while she was on duty on the night of August 9. In the hands of the junior doctors who marched slowly forward singing those songs, meaning every word in those powerful lyrics, were rajanigandhar malas — garlands of tuberose speckled with red roses. One doctor held aloft what must be the movement’s icon: a plastic replica of the human spine. These doctors have demonstrated over the last 24 days that their vertebral column is in place. Their unique protest exhorted everyone to keep theirs upright and straight. Especially the police. Just before heading into Lalbazar, the doctors’ delegation broke into a song again, signing off with Jana Gana Mana. Behind them, other doctors standing in a series of human chains joined in. Everyone stood still. Time stood still. After the meeting with the commissioner of Kolkata Police, the doctors said they were not satisfied with officer’s responses but they would end their sit-in demo on BB Ganguly Street. However, their protests would continue in other forms. One night this week, the junior doctors called for a voluntary blackout in every home in Kolkata for 60 minutes, with only candles to be lit through the dark hour. Kolkata has responded magnificently All of Tuesday . , thousands of people stood holding hands all along the 16 km stretch of the arterial Eastern Metropolitan Bypass road that swings around the city No blocking traffic, no po. litical flags, only banners and posters demanding justice for the RG Kar victim and an occasional burst of slogans, mostly Justice for RG Kar. In the human chain were doctors, nurses, students and scores of ordinary folk, moved by the movement for justice and outraged by the way the state has handled both. Collectively, Kolkata is today a tsunami of righteous anger. An anger it has chosen to express with the red rose. Mahatma Gandhi would P8 have approved. Protesting junior doctors march towards the police HQ after they were allowed to meet the police chief, in Kolkata | PTI EXPRESS READ Central team to take stock of bird flu today Bhubaneswar: A three-member central team will arrive here on Wednesday to take stock of the bird flu outbreak situation in the state. Sources said the team comprising senior officials and experts from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) will visit the affected areas and review containment and surveillance measures | P2 Refused space, 18-yr-old cremated 40 km away Sambalpur: An 18-year-old murder victim was cremated 40 km away from her native place under Rairakhol police limits after residents of two villages refused to allow her last rites at their cremation grounds over a superstitious belief. The residents opposed cremation allegedly claiming that cremation of a ‘rape victim’ would invite bad luck to the nearby villages | P4 Household savings on rebound Robust domestic savings to drive economic growth, says RBI deputy governor Michael Patra B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai AFTER sharply declining during the pandemic, India’s household savings are rebounding on the back of rising income levels, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Speaking at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday, RBI deputy governor Michael Debabrata Patra said that the rebound process has already begun, noting that households’ financial assets have increased from 10.6% of GDP during 2011-17 to 11.5% during 2017-23. And there is room to grow further because the level was 15% of GDP during the early 2000s till the global financial crisis. Household savings are the portion of income that is not spent on consumption and set aside for future use; these are usually deposited in banks or invested in other financial instruments. Because of their HOME TRUTHS Net financial savings of households halved from 2020-21 levels due to behavioural changes during the pandemic and shift towards physical assets such as housing. But with rising incomes, households are now rebuilding their financial assets 11.5% Households’ financial assets have increased from 10.6% of GDP during 2011-17 to 11.5% during 2017-23 Households will remain the top net lenders to the rest of the economy in the coming decades (excluding pandemic year) REVIVAL IN CAPEX CYCLE IS LIKELY TO PUSH UP PRIVATE SECTOR’S BORROWING NEEDS, WHICH COULD BE PARTLY MET BY HOUSEHOLDS sheer size, household funds are considered a major driver of long- term economic growth. Explaining the reasons for the fall in the domestic savings level of late, Patra noted that the net household savings have halved, hitting a five-year low of 5.2% of GDP in fiscal 2024, but he attributed this to ‘behavioural changes’ during the pandemic, driven by shifts from financial assets to physical assets such as property . According to Patra, that phase is over and households MAJHI MAKES U-TURN, SAYS HC Nine more BENCH UNDER CONSIDERATION Maoists killed EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar FACING backlash over his statement in the Assembly that there was no justification for establishment of an Orissa High Court bench in the state as per the verdict of Supreme Court, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday made a U-turn and clarified the matter is still under consideration of the government. Making a statement in the House before commencement of zero hour, the chief minister said that the reply given in this regard on Monday was based on the observation of the Su- preme Court. “The issue of setting up a bench of the Orissa High Court in the western Odisha is under consideration of the government. The gover nment is committed to delivery of speedy justice to the people and take it to their doorstep,” Majhi said. In a written reply to a question from BJD MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo on Monday, the chief minister had informed the Assembly that as per Supreme Court verdict, there was no justification in having a bench of the Orissa High Court in any part of the state. The apex court had ruled that the demand for a high court bench had become obsolete with passage of time and advancement of technology . The chief minister’s clarification, however, did not satisfy Singh Deo. The Balangir MLA said the chief minister should give an assurance to the House that a bench of the HC will be set up and also announce a timeline for it. Balangir has the first right for a permanent bench since it had one in the pre-Independence era, he said. Govt to take apt decision on collecting tax from mineral-bearing land: Min EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar THE Odisha government on Tuesday said it will take rational steps in the best interest of the state so far as implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on powers of states to levy tax on mineralbearing land is concerned. Replying to the demand for grants of Steel and Mines department in the Assembly, minister Bihuti Bhusan Jena said the then BJD-BJP coalition government had enacted the Orissa Rural Infrastructure and Socio-Economic Development (ORISED) Act, 2004 to augment the revenue of the state for undertaking development of infrastructure, education and socioeconomic progress of rural and mining areas. Accordingly, the state government had framed rules un- der the Act in 2005. As per the rules, the state government was supposed to levy tax on the annual value of a mineralbearing land for carrying out mining operations in a financial year. Challenging the legislation, public sector company NALCO and several others moved the Orissa High Court in 2005. The high court in its December 5, 2005 order struck down the ORISED Act. The state government filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court in 2006. Hearing the case, the apex court ruled that the states have the power to collect tax on mineral-bearing land. The top court also said that royalty paid by miners to the Centre can’t be called a tax but a contractual payment. The Supreme Court further clarified on August 14, 2024, that the state could collect the arrear tax retrospectively from April 1, 2005. The court also stated that the tax arrears can be paid over a staggered period of 12 years from April 1, 2026. M e a n wh i l e, t h e state government has collected a fine of `16,103.96 crore from mining lease holders who had done excess mining in violation of mining plan and other statutory rules. The central empowered committee appointed by the Supreme Court had computed the total penalty at `16,169.14 crore. Similarly, the government has collected `1,101.69 crore as fine as against `1,890.83 crore imposed on the miners for violation of mining plan and consent to operate provisions. BRUNEI VISIT Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with Indian community members during his visit to the iconic Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, on Tuesday. Approximately 14,000 Indians are residing in Brunei | PTI | P7 NEW SUMIT Advice from Neeraj, enduring back pain, Sumit wins gold E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai IT is as if winning gold has become a habit for Sumit Antil. The back pain that had been afflicting him for the last one-and -a-half year vanished. He was focussed on the job in hand — retaining gold at the Paris Paralympics. And he did it in style when he threw the javelin to 70.59 m — a new Paralympics record. It had not been easy. During a virtual interaction, he revealed that he felt more pressure in Paris than in Tokyo. Perhaps, it’s the burden of expectations on Monday in his F46 event. There are quite a few things that separate Sumit from the rest. He is one of those paraathletes who previously competed against able-bodied athletes. One among the competitors was Neeraj Cho- pra, the Olympic silver-medallist. During the interaction he revealed that he keeps speaking with Neeraj and the champion javelin thrower had given him an advice or two before the Paralympics. He said that he has been in touch with Neer- are now rebuilding their financial assets. “Going forward, boosted by rising incomes, households will likely build back their financial assets,” Patra said while addressing a finance summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Tuesday . Concurrently, households’ physical savings have also risen in post-pandemic years to over 12% of GDP. These can rise further—these had reached 16% of GDP in 2010-11. Households are expected to remain the top net lenders to the rest of the economy in the coming decades, he said. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had earlier raised concerns over more and more household savings going into financial instruments such as mutual funds and stocks, saying this had led to banks facing a deposit drought. aj but before the Parlympics he did not speak to him directly but through his manager. “I got a message from Neeraj bhai through someone and he told me that the atmosphere (in Paris) is good,” said Sumit. He also asked him to not try anything new. “I just took his advice and it was a really good experience.” Sumit also spoke about how he created a para world record while competing against ablebodied athletes in Patiala during a Grand Prix event in 2021. “I threw some 66.43 m and that To be under pressure is normal at such a big stage and we try not to get stressed due to pressure. I read very less book but I do meditation, watch movies — Sumit Antil time it was a record. I wanted to find out how it feels to compete with able-bodied athletes.” With gold secured, he has set sights on a three-peat at the LA Paralympics as his next target. But crossing 80 m too would be one of his dreams. Sumit is the second para athlete after shooter Avani Lekhara to defend their title. Lekhara on Tuesday finished fifth in 50m 3P . in C’garh E J A Z K A I S E R @ Raipur NINE Maoists, including six women cadre, were gunned down in an encounter with the security forces at the PurangelAndri hilly terrain along the inter-district border of Dantewada and Bijapur in south Chhattisgarh on Tuesday . Acting on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists belonging to the West Bastar Division committee and Peoples’ Liberation Guer rilla Ar my company number 2 in the area, a joint team comprising personnel from District Reserve Guards, Bastar Fighters and the Central Reserve Police Force launched a search operation. “Exchange of fire ensued around 10.30 am between the security forces and the Maoists. Nine bodies of armed Maoists in uniform, including six women, along with weapons have been recovered,” said Sunderraj P, Bastar inspector general of police. A large quantity of weapons, including self loading rifle, 303 rifle, 315 bore rifle, BGL launchers, huge explosives besides other items of the Maoists were recovered. “The forces engaged in the operation are safe. The recovered bodies are yet to be identified. Since there is a possibility of the presence of several other dead or injured Maoists in and around the encounter site, additional reinforcement has been sent to the area,” said Gaurav Rai, Dantewada district police chief. 50 KILLED 219 INJURED AS RUSSIAN MISSILES HIT MILITARY UNIT, HOSPITAL Two ballistic missiles blasted a military training facility and nearby hospital Tuesday in Ukraine, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 219 others, Ukrainian officials said, in one of the deadliest Russian strikes since the war began. The strike hit the central-eastern city of Poltava, the capital of the region of the same name | P9