The New Indian Express Wishes its readers a Happy Vinayaka Chavithi Our offices and press will remain closed today and there will be no issue of the paper on Sunday vijayawada l saturday l september 07, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Wrestlers Phogat, Punia join the Congress ahead of Haryana polls Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia were at the forefront of the wrestlers’ protest against ex-WFI chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Vinesh may contest from Julana seat Both quit Rlys before entering politics The two star grapplers met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence and later joined the party at the AICC headquarters. Sources said the party may field Phogat from the Julana seat in Haryana while Punia may not enter the fray. Speaking to the media, Phogat alleged the BJP maligned her while the grand old party stood with her during her tough moments ■ ■ Before joining the Congress, Phogat and Punia resigned from Indian Railways. However, it is not clear if the resignations have been accepted Congress leader K C Venugopal said Phogat received a showcause notice from the Railways after she met Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Sources said it was for violating service rules on meeting political leaders | P7 October 5 Poll date for 90 seats in Haryana; results will be announced on Oct 8 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 BJP promises 5 lakh jobs, terror-free J&K Article 370 has become history, will never return: Shah FAYA Z WANI @ Srinagar Army personnel of the 6th Madras regiment arrive at the point where Budameru Rivulet developed a breach at Shantipuram near Kondapalli on Friday | Prasant Madugula Plan Of Action Indian Army steps in to plug Budameru breach Fortifying Budameru E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada  Gabion baskets, each measuring The Indian Army has joined the State government in plugging the breach to Budameru Rivulet on Friday If . things go as planned and if there are not much rains upstream, the breach is likely to be plugged by Saturday morning. According to a release by the Defence Department, the Indian Army Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations column has been pro-actively addressing the situation in Vijayawada, following breaches in three critical locations. “The initial breaches, identified as Breach 1 and Breach 2, each ranging from 10-15 metres in width, have been temporarily plugged by the civil administration, stabilising the situation momentarily the statement read. ,” However, the temporary solution has led to a funnelling effect, increasing the water flow significantly at the third breach site, which spans approximately 80-100 metres. “The water current at this location is between 6-8 knots, with projections suggesting it might escalate to 10-12 knots,” it said. The team is planning to employ a robust two-layer strategy using Gabion baskets, each measuring 5x2x2 metres. A Gabion is a type of wired-basket filled with various rocks or soil that helps prevent erosion or retain a slope. They are commonly used in stream banks or areas with steep slopes. These baskets will be placed one atop the other and filled with stones to fortify the Budameru P4, Edit P6 breach.  5x2x2 metres, will be placed one atop the other  Protective bund of up to four metres in height will be constructed  Trials will also include the use of HESCO baskets Rain report  Significant rainfall across Andhra Pradesh for next few days.  Heavy rains likely in North Coastal AP & Yanam today Central assistance  Inter-ministerial Central team to visit State soon  26 NDRF teams rescued 350 persons and evacuated about 15,000 others  10 choppers carried out 65 sorties and provided around 71,000 kgs of food and relief material Have seen tears in CM’s eyes: Shivraj Express News Service @ Vijayawada Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is concerned about the flood situation in Vijayawada. “I’ve seen tears in the eyes of Chandrababu Naidu,” he said. The Union Minister, who was on a two-day visit to the flood-hit areas in Vijayawada, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very sensitive about the situation in Andhra Pradesh as well as Telangana. “There has been loss, but the State government, under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu, is working with full competence and sensitivity. The Centre will provide full support to them,” he asserted. He said, work is being done to provide immediate assistance of `3,448 crore from the SDRF (State Disaster Relief Fund), which is already with State and also includes the Centre’s share. “After providing immediate assistance, the government will think about how farmers will get fertilizers and seeds for the next crop. Efforts are underway to solve the farmers’ problems,” he P4 added.  CM Naidu conducts an aerial survey on Friday | Express CM: Reports on Central aid false Dismissing reports about the Centre releasing financial assistance for flood-hit Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the State government is yet to submit a report to the Central government. He added that the report on losses will be submitted on Saturday morning THE BJP on Friday released its manifesto for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections, promising to root out terrorism, create five lakh jobs for youth, facilitate return of migrant Kashmiri Pandits, and bring out a white paper to fix responsibility of those involved in the emergence of militancy . The document, titled Sankalp Patra, was released by Union home minister Amit Shah at a press conference in Jammu. it contains 25 promises that include developing the J&K economy through tourism, construction of 10,000 km of new rural roads, women’s financial security and self-reliance, addressing the illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi settlements, among others. It also promises steps for the reconstruction of Hindu temples and shrines. Shah arrived in Jammu on Friday for a two-day visit. In a snub to the National Conference, which is seeking restoration of Article 370, Shah asserted that the special provision has become a history and can never be restored. According to the manifesto, abrogation of Article 370 has ensured peace and prosperity . “In the poll manifesto, we have made a lot of promises. Our big promise is creation of a peaceful, secured, developed and prosperous J&K. We are close to the goal. If we get a mandate, I want to tell the people of J&K that its youth will also contribute to the development of country and J&K. Youth will work to make J&K a paradise,” Shah said. Shah also criticised other parties for mindlessly demanding restoration of statehood, noting that he has made a commitment on the floor of Parliament that it would be restored at an appropriate time after the Assembly polls. Home minister Amit Shah (C) releasing BJP’s manifesto | PTI No talks with Pak, says Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday clarified that India is not in favour of talks with Pakistan until it stops supporting terrorism. “Talks and bombs cannot go together,” he emphasised Now, call to change B’desh flag & anthem Y e s h i S e l i @ New Delhi Amid the continuing uncertainty in Bangladesh after prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled on August 5, a section in the country is lobbying to get the national flag and the national anthem changed. The flag was designed by Narain Das and the anthem, Amar Sonar Bangla, written by the Bard of Bengal Rabindranath Tagore. “A lot of interest that has been generated about changing the national flag and anthem. Brig General (Retd) Abdullahil Amaan Azmi was among those who recently proposed this,” Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, a political commentator in Bangladesh, told this newspaper. Brig Gen Azmi is the son of Ghulam Azam, the former ameer (chief) of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami. He was among the victims of forced disappearance under Hasina’s re gime and was released recently . “The Bangladeshi flag has no symbol depicting Islam, like a crescent, nor does the anthem depict the 1971 freedom struggle. So, a lot of Bangladeshis are now open to the idea,’’ a source in Dhaka said.