tirupati l friday l october 25, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION PAC meet postponed as SEBI chief Madhabi Buch doesn’t turn up Buch cites ‘exigencies’ to skip meeting The Sebi chairperson skipped a Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee meeting on Thursday, prompting panel head K C Venugopal to put it off Furore over jpc head Venugopal’s fiat Venugopal said the panel received a message from Buch at 9.30 am that she and her team wouldn’t be able to appear before it due to “exigencies”. The panel’s proceedings remained deadlocked even during its second sitting amid the NDA members’ demand that Venugopal allow a vote on agenda items like summoning heads of regulatory bodies, an idea opposed by Cong MPs ■ ■ BJP member Nishikant Dubey moved a motion to drop five of the 161 subjects picked by the panel for its annual agenda, and called for a vote With NDA members in majority, Venugopal didn’t allow the motion. BJP members accused him of not letting them air their views. They later met Speaker Om Birla to protest against Venugopal’s unilateral decisions Trai chairman Briefly Appeared before jpc but the meet was called off due to protests 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 EAM bats for fair, Infra boost for Amaravati as Union durable solution Cabinet approves `2,245-crore rly line to W Asia mess S V i s w anath @ Vijayawada Jaishankar says disputes and differences should be resolved through diplomacy M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi Informal interaction Jaishankar interacted informally with the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Thailand. He also interacted with Egyptian prez Abdel Fattah El-Sisi International law should be adhered to and there should be zero tolerance for terrorism S Jaishankar, EAM Expressing concern over the grave situation in West Asia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that any approach that seeks to end the conflict has to be ‘fair and durable’, leading to a two-state solution. Speaking at the BRICS Outreach session representing India, Jaishankar said efforts must be made to resolve disputes and differences through dialogue and diplomacy so that they don’t lead to armed conflicts or full-fledged wars. Referring to the multi-front war Israel is locked in in West Asia—with Hamas in Palestine, with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the looming threat of a opening another front with Iran—he said the situation is quite serious. “Maritime trade has also been deeply affected. The human and material consequences of further escalation are truly serious,” he added. Jaishankar made these remarks while representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the outreach session hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan in Russia on the final day of the BRICS Summit. During his speech, Jaishankar reiterated Modi’s message of peace, that this is not an era of war. Suggesting ways to create a more equitable global order, Jaishankar said the distortions in global infrastructure, which he termed “a legacy of the colonial era”, must be set right, adding that corrections must be done with respect for territorial integrity . Lamenting that the benefits of globalisation has been ‘very uneven’, Jaishankar noted that the Global South has long suffered neglect at the cost of the Western nations. However, a new global order is taking shape and global institutions such as the UN must undergo reforms to deal with the new reality . “We face the paradox that even as forces of change have advanced, some long standing issues have only become more complex... BRICS itself is a statement of how profoundly the old order is changing,” he said. In a shot in the arm for Amaravati, the Union Cabinet has approved a railway line for the State capital. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday . Spanning 57 kilometers, the new railway line will be built with an investment of `2,245 crore in four years. A 3.2-kmlong railway bridge will also be constructed on River Krishna to facilitate the railway line, which will provide direct connectivity with Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Nagpur. It will also provide connectivity to Delhi from Nagpur and to Mumbai from Hyderabad. In a tweet on X, Modi said, “In a boost to infrastructure, the Union Cabinet has approved two railway projects which will boost connectivity and commerce in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Telangana.” Terming it a dream project, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav thanked the Prime Minister for approving it and the State government for extending cooperation. Elaborating on the railway Rail Connectivity to Amaravati, Capital of Andhra Pradesh 1. Existing Railway Lines To Kazipet Motumari Fr. Vishnupuram DL Jaggayyapeta Town Pedapuram Channaraopelam Gottumukkal Krishna River Paritala Kothapalli Vaddamanu Fr. S ecun Amaravati d e ra bad Tadikonda Koppavaram takal Nallapadu Fr. Gun Narasaraopet Errupalem Kondapalli Reserved Forest H To ow ra h Vijayawada Krishna Canal Namburu Guntur Tenali Fr. Chennai / Ports project, Vaishnav said the reference point will be the Krishna River. The railway line will start from Yerrupalem on the Vijayawada - Kazipet line and reach Namburu station. It will also be a parallel path to the existing Howrah - Chennai line. “We looked at various options and selected an alignment which will be beneficial in the long run for Amaravati as well as Andhra Pradesh,” he explained. The project will generate employment for 19 lakh human days and result in emission of six crore kg carbon dioxide. SL B e s i d e s m a j o r c i t i e s, Vaishnav highlighted, Amaravati will also be connected to ports at Machilipatnam, Krishnapatnam, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and others. Thanking the Prime Minister and the Union Cabinet, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu noted that Amaravati will be connected to all capital cities with the new railway line. Further, he requested Vaishnav that the proposed bridge on the River Krishna be built as an iconic bridge. Stating that the Centre has To M ach i li pa tna m Po r t Area Earmarked for Capital Region Railway Zone Stating that the Railway Zone issue was resolved, Naidu said foundation stone will be laid by PM Modi in November or December extended all support for developing Amaravati, Naidu, while participating in the virtual conference, urged the Railway Minister to initiate measures for completing the new rail line within three years instead of the proposed four. Lauding Vaishnav’s efforts in tabling the proposal for the new railway line in Amaravati and getting it approved by the Cabinet within a short span, the Chief Minister requested him to complete the construction in three years as the project will be greatly benefiP4 cial.  `4,000-cr rail proj in Bihar approved M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi In a big push to infrastructure developments in the crucial NDA allies-ruled states of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved mega Railway projects one each in the two states with a total estimated cost of `6,798 crore, which will be completed in next five years.    In another decision, the Cabinet also gave its nod for establishment of a Venture Capital Fund worth `1,000 crore for the space sector under the aegis of IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) to promote and oversee private sector participation in space activities.   The Cabinet approved the doubling of NarkatiaganjRaxaul-Sitamarhi-Darbhanga and Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur sections, covering 256 km in Bihar with an estimated cost of `4,553 crore.   Briefing media on the Cabinet decisions, Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the p ro j e c t i s e x p e c t e d t o strengthen the connectivity to Nepal, north-east India, and the border areas. Lokesh seeks NVIDIA support for AI University D ee p i ka K o lluru @ Vijayawada On the sidelines of the firstever NVIDIA AI Summit held in Mumbai on Thursday, IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh held discussions with company CEO Jensen Huang on strengthening the State’s technological sector. Lokesh outlined the State’s vision of leveraging AI to transform governance and streamline public services. He also sought NVIDIA’s expertise in establishing an AI University in Amaravati, which would position the State as a hub for AI education and innovation. Re s p o n d i n g p o s i t ive ly, Huang highlighted the revolutionary changes AI will bring to various sectors globally in, cluding speech recognition, medical imaging, and supply chain management. He em- phasised that India must move beyond being a consumer of AI to becoming a major exporter of AI technology . NVIDIA, a global leader in AI technology currently oper, ates six centres across India, including in Hyderabad and P4 Bengaluru.  ‘ED did not attach shares of Saraswati Power’ kalyan th o let i @ Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president YS Sharmila on Thursday scoffed at the reaction of her brother and YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on the ongoing dispute between the two siblings over transfer of shares in the family-owned Saraswati Power and Industries to her and her mother Vijayamma. Speaking to media here, she quipped, “My view is that disputes should be resolved amicably at home. But, you dragged mother and me to court while claiming it is common in all families. This is not common, Jagan sir.” It is pertinent to note that Jagan moved the National Company Law Tribunal last month seeking to cancel the transfer of shares. Sources close to Sharmila informed this newspaper that contrary to Jagan’s claims, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) did not attach shares of Saraswati Power and Industries. “It only attached company land It is surprising to see this. What conditions will he (Jagan) set for public service, if he is setting conditions for division of property to mother and sister? Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, I’m asking you and all of you one thing. Don’t you have any problems in your family? All these are ghar ghar ki Kahani Disputes should be resolved amicably. You dragged mother & me to court, claiming it is common in all families. This is not common, Jagan sir N Chandrababu Naidu. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, YSRC president YS Sharmila Reddy, APCC chief worth `32 crore. Shares of the company were never attached and could be transferred anytime. The ED attachment of any company’s property never stopped the transfer of shares of that company. There are many companies even in stock markets that have their lands or assets attached, and yet are freely traded and shares transferred,” the sources claimed. To the YSRC argument that transfer of Saraswati shares is illegal and could result in the cancellation of Jagan’s bail, the sources questioned how did he sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2019 stating that all shares will be transferred to Sharmila immediately Posing a . series of questions, the sources also wondered how did Jagan allow his mother Vijayamma to buy the company’s shares held by Classic and Sandur for `42 crore in 2021 and how could he sign and gift his and his wife’s shares to Vijayamma. They further pointed out that the Appellate Tribunal of the ED, while allowing an appeal on July 16, 2019, held that the assets of the company were not the proceeds of crime and set aside the ED provisional attachment order. It also held that it did not even have to examine the status of the shareholding in the company as that was not the subject matter before the ED, the sources said. In a letter to the YSRC president, dated September 12, 2024, Sharmila said Jagan had pledged to transfer all shares in Saraswati Power and Industries, designated to her as per the MoU, immediately following the signing of the docP4 ument.  Senior rail officers on safety inspection R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi cyclone odisha govt moves 3.5L to shelters Odisha braced for impact as severe cyclonic storm Dana, which is likely to make landfall Thursday midnight. The state evacuated 3.5 lakh people to cyclone shelters page 5 Amid a spate of derailments, the Ministry of Railways has decided to involve its senior administrative grade (SAG) officers to conduct inspections to enhance safety . From now on, SAG officers will carry out two night inspections per month at roadside stations, level-crossing gates, or on footplates. This is in addition to regular daytime inspections of maintenance practices across all departments, which may include monitoring crew operations and visits to running rooms. They also have been tasked with conducting “ambush checks” at unmanned level crossings in collaboration with the police to check if safety measures are in place. The decision follows a safety review meeting on October 8, where a system was suggested for assigning officers for night inspections and to monitor the inspections carried out by other nominated officers. The ministry directed General Managers (GMs) and Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) to implement this system and ensure daily oversight of night inspections. “A number of these accidents are avoidable as they are on account of failure of railway staff. It is essential that constant monitoring is done at all levels of the implementation of follow-up on laid down safety rules and procedures.” All SAG officers at the headquarters of the departments eligible to be posted as DRMs/GMs may be utilised for inspections, the ministry said. Following the diarrhoea outbreak, medical camps were set up at Anjanapuram | Express Two die, seven fall sick due to diarrhoea in Palnadu’s dachepalli E x p ress N e w s S er v i c e @ Guntur Residents of Anjanapuram Colony were found to be consuming water from a borewell and an RO plant. Both plants were closed assuming the reason for the diarrhoea outbreak was water contamination Health Minister `25-L water filter plant MLA Yarapatineni announced that a permanent water filter plant will be set up with `25 lakh in the colony to provide safe drinking water to the residents As many as two people reportedly died due to diarrhoea, while seven others fell ill at Anjanapuram Colony in Dachepalli of Palnadu district on Thursday. The development comes just days after a diarrhoea outbreak claimed at least eight l ive s i n G u rl a m a n d a l , Vizianagaram. The deceased have been identified as B Veeraiah (70) and T Venkateswarulu (17). However, Palnadu District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr Ravi maintained that diarrhoea was not the cause for the two deaths. Speaking to this newspaper, he said while Veeraiah died due to pre-medical conditions, food poisoning was the cause of Venkateswarulu’s death. He said it was mere coincidence that the two lived in the same colony and died during the di- arrhea outbreak. He added the exact cause of their death will be ascertained after medical reports. Palnadu Collector Arun Babu and local MLA Yarapatineni Srinivasa Rao rushed to the colony and reviewed the situation. They also interacted with patients receiving treatment. Following the diarrhoea outbreak, health camps were set up and officials conducted door-todoor surveys. They also collected samples of water from reservoirs and pipelines. The Collector confirmed that seven people had fallen ill, but are in stable condition now. “It was identified that residents of Anjanapuram Colony were consuming water from a nearby borewell and an RO plant. Assuming that the reason for the outbreak is contamination of water, both water plants were closed,” he explained. P4