vijayawada l friday l october 25, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city 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 Pullback begins Infra boost for Amaravati as Union from Depsang Cabinet approves `2,245-crore rly line and Demchok S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Forces have moved away from stand-off points but remain in the vicinity, say sources M AYAN K S IN G H @ New Delhi Ground situation A broad consensus has been achieved by India and China on restoring the ‘ground situation’ along LAC, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said The agreement includes patrolling and grazing in the traditional areas Rajnath Singh, defence minister DAYS after India and China disclosed that an agreement has been reached to de-escalate the border tension, sources said on Thursday that troops from both sides have begun disengaging from the standoff points in Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh. The troops have moved away from the points near the Y-Junction in Depsang and Charding Nullah Junction in Demchok, it is learnt. “But the troops remain in the vicinity sources said, ,” indicating that both sides are treading cautiously . In other words, although troops have moved away from the standoff points, there is no real change in the overall troop deployment in the area. Broadly, the infrastructure also remains the same as only the temporary structures such as tents and shades have been dismantled. “The withdrawals are mutual. Patrolling may take some time to resume because it will depend on the removal of the structures which came up since the April 2020 clashes,” said an official. Speaking at an event in Delhi on Thursday Un, ion Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said a broad consensus has been achieved, which includes patrolling and grazing in traditional areas. This is the power of engaging in dialogue, he said. While grazing grounds are only towards Demchok with the nullah in the vicinity the landform , is rugged and rocky towards Depsang, where there are significant patrolling points. Monday’s agreement was about the two friction points, Depsang and Demchok. The strategic importance of Depsang is underscored by its proximity to the Y Junction, which is just 20 km from Daulat Beg Oldi airfield. Control over Y Junction enables China to obstruct India’s movements, which also serves as a link towards Siachen and the DBO airfield. The standoff at Depsang was significant, as the Chinese troops had blocked access to Patrol Points 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13, covering an area of approximately 952 sq km. 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 kilometres, 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 Motumari Fr. Vishnupuram 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. 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 H To ow ra h Vijayawada Krishna Canal Namburu Guntur Tenali 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 capital cities of several States 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 D ee p i k a 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 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 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.  Two die due to diarrhoea in Palnadu cyclone Kondapalli Reserved Forest 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.  M U K E S H R AN J AN @ 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.   The Union Cabinet also approved establishment of a Venture Capital Fund worth `1,000 crore for the space sector under the aegis of INSPACe to promote and oversee private sector p a r t i c i p at i o n i n s p a c e activities.   It approved the doubling of the Narkatiaganj-RaxaulSitamarhi-Darbhanga and Sitamarhi-Muzaffarpur sections, covering 256 km in Bihar with an estimated cost of `4,553 crore. Briefing media after the meeting, Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the railway projects are scheduled to be completed in five years and provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travel, minimise logistics costs, reduce oil imports and lower carbon emissions.  P4 Lokesh seeks NVIDIA support for AI University 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 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 lives in Gurla mandal, Vizianagaram. The deceased have been identified as B Veeraiah (70) and T Venkateswarulu (17). However, Palnadu District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr Ravi SL Errupalem Fr. Chennai / Ports 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? E x p ress Ne w s S erv i c e @ Guntur Jaggayyapeta Town takal Nallapadu Fr. Gun Narasaraopet k a lya n t h o le t i @ Vijayawada 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 DL Pedapuram Channaraopelam Gottumukkal Krishna River Paritala Kothapalli Vaddamanu Fr. S ecun Amaravati d e ra bad Tadikonda Koppavaram ‘ED did not attach shares of Saraswati Power’ 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 1. Existing Railway Lines To Kazipet `4,000-cr rail proj in Bihar approved maintained that diarrhoea was not the cause for the two deaths. Speaking to TNIE, he said Veeraiah died due to pre-medical conditions, while 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 diarrhoea outbreak. He added the exact cause of their death will be ascertained after medical reports. Palnadu Collector Arun Babu and local MLA Yarapatineni Srini- vasa 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-to-door 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. “During the survey it was iden, tified that residents of Anjanapuram Colony were consuming water from a nearby borewell and P4 an RO plant,” he said.  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.