HYDERABAD  SUNDAY  OCTOBER 27, 2024  `12.00  PAGES 24  LATE CITY EDITION RAJNATH SINGH TO CELEBRATE DIWALI WITH TROOPS IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH The defence minister will celebrate the festival of lights with soldiers in Tawang, which saw the first artillery fire from China side during the 1962 war IAF-UTTARAKHAND WAR MEMORIAL CAR RALLY TAWANG VISIT AMID SINO-INDIAN THAW Singh’s visit also coincides with the flag-in of Indian Air Force-Uttarakhand War Memorial car rally in Tawang on October 30, in the presence of Arunachal CM Pema Khandu and deputy CM Chowna Mein. In October 2023, the defence minister had carried out Shastra Puja with the troops at Tawang and also interacted with those deployed in the frontline locations along the LAC ■ ■ Tawang is a base for men in uniforms including those of the Indian Army, Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) The Tawang trip comes at a time when India-China relations have just begun to thaw following disengagement of troops in Ladakh. China gets worked up whenever an Indian minister visits Arunachal Pradesh 50,000 ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN TAWANG, WHICH CHINA CALLS LITTLE TIBET 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 ISRAEL HITS IRAN’S MILITARY SITES Nuclear sites, energy infrastructure spared; two Iranian soldiers killed M A N DA RAV I N D E R R E D DY THREE WAVES OF STRIKES @ Hyderabad The first wave of attacks targeted Iran’s air defence capabilities to ensure the IDF’s freedom of operations during Saturday’s sorties, and to lay the ground for further strikes, should Iran retaliate WIN-WIN DEAL Residential towers for Musi evictees near river: Bhatti EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE DRONE, MISSILE SITES HIT The second and third waves of attacks targeted Iran’s drone and ballistic missile manufacturing sites as well as sites used to launch such weapons @ Hyderabad DEPUTY Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has announced that the government will construct residential towers for Musi oustees in the same area with all facilities and integrated schools for their children. Addressing a property show organised by the National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) at Hitex on Saturday, he reiterated that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the state government were committed to providing a dignified life to the Musi dwellers. As part of this objective, women members of DWCRA groups will be given interestfree loans to the tune of `1,000 crore and help them set up small scale units to generate self-employment, he added. Alleging that there is a motivated ne g ative campaign against HYDRAA , the deputy CM said that the agency will not give approvals or permissions for constructions. “It is the responsibility of government bodies like GHMC, HMDA, DTC,” he clarified. Asserting that the government is committed to developing Hyderabad in a big way, Vikramarka accused some people of deliberately carrying out a malicious campaign against development works in Hyderabad. He recalled the allocation of `10,000 crore made in the state budget for development of Hyderabad city . “This is for capital expenditure alone. It would be utilised for constructing flyovers, underpasses and drainages,” he CONTINUED ON P4 added. OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED, SAYS IDF IDF spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said the goals of the overnight attack on Iran were achieved successfully. “The reprisal strike was completed,” he told reporters TG’s Deepavali gift: Indiramma Housing for poorest of poor Flight radar data shows airspace over Iran, Syria, and Iraq closed amid Israeli strikes on Saturday AGENCIES ISRAEL on Saturday launched retaliatory strikes against Iran, 25 days after the Tehran attacked Tel Aviv with nearly 200 missiles and drones. Israel’s airstrikes started around 2 am Iranian time on Saturday and ended by 6 am. Only military sites were hit. The Israeli military termed its attack ‘precise and targeted’ strikes to knock down Iran’s air defence systems and other defence capabilities. Owing to US pressure, Israel did not target Iran’s nuclear or energy facilities, which were initially seen as possible targets for Israel’s response to Iran’s October 1 attack. The extent of damage the Israeli strikes caused was not immediately known, though some reports quoting anonymous Israeli officials said 20 targets were hit. Iran’s state-run media reported that blasts could be heard in Tehran and some of the sounds came from air defence systems around the city . According to US media reports, the Iranian military complex at Parchin near Tehran was hit. Iran confirmed the attack, saying two of its soldiers were killed. It claimed its forces thwarted damage to its military sites. Iran’s military said the Israeli strikes targeted military bases in Ilam, Khuzestan and Tehran provinces and caused ‘limited damage’, without elaborating. Iran’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying the country has a responsibility to defend itself, but added Iran “recognises its responsibilities towards regional peace and security”, signalling it would not strike back. Reports said Israel’s strike was designed to minimise casualties and to give Iran a face saver. Some reports also claimed that Iran was tipped off ahead of the attack, to ensure the damage was limited. Saturday’s retaliatory strike marked the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran, which hasn’t faced a sustained barrage of fire from a foreign enemy since its 1980s war with Iraq. In response to the latest attack, several countries, including India, called for an end to the cycle of confrontation. The US termed the Israeli attack as an act of self-defence and warned Iran against targeting Israel again. India said it was deeply concerned and urged all sides to take the diplomacy route. “We reiterate our call to all concerned to exercise restraint and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy The ongoing hostilities are to . nobody’s benefit, even as innocent hostages and civilian populations continue to suffer,” the Ministry of External P9 Affairs said. THE state Cabinet on Saturday decided to launch the Indiramma Housing Scheme immediately after Deepavali and construct 3,500 houses in each constituency in the first phase. Briefing newsmen on the decisions made during the Cabinet meeting, I&PR Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said: “The government will distribute these houses to the poorest of poor. Beneficiaries will be selected in a transparent manner through Gram Sabha. This will be the Deepavali gift for the poor.” The Cabinet also decided to complete the socioeconomic caste survey by November 30. The Cabinet meeting that was chaired by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy made some crucial decisions, Srinivasa Reddy and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar told newsmen. The Cabinet decided to release one of the five pending Dearness Allowances (DAs) to government employees. This will entail an additional financial burden of `230 crore on the exchequer. It was also decided to prepare the DPR for constructing roads in the state in PPP model. Srinivasa Reddy said: “Roads of a length of 16,000 to 17,000 km needed to be constructed in the state, which are under Panchayat raj and R&B departments. The government needs `25,000 to `28,000 crore for this. In the next four years, we will complete the construction of roads.” The Cabinet also approved the DPR for the second phase of Metro Rail network in Hyderabad. As part of second phase, the gover nment would construct five new lines— Nagole-Shamshabad, Raidurg-Kokapeta, MGBSChandrayanagutta, MiyapurPatancheru and LB Nagar-Hayatnagar — spread over a total of 76.4 km with `24,269 crore in PPP model. The project will be a joint venture of the state and Union governments. The Cabinet decided to send the DPR to the Centre for approval. @ Peddapalli THE rescue of 13 brick kiln workers from the Raghavapur area on the outskirts of Peddapalli on Friday has brought to light the grim reality of exploitation of the poor mostly from Odisha. These people from far off places come here to work in brick kilns in the hope of making some money but end up in in, human conditions. Peddapalli district has become a hub for brick kiln operations, with over 100 kilns producing clay bricks. The area has become a breeding ground for labour exploitation, as revealed in a past Crime Investigation Department (CID) investigation. In the last season, 146 workers from Odisha were rescued from various kilns in Peddapalli. According to CID reports, about 20,000 workers from Balangir, Bargarh, Khordha and Sambalpur districts in Odisha are employed in brick kilns in Peddapalli and Jagtial districts. The Labour department has struggled to maintain records or enforce agreements between workers and owners of kilns. District Collector Koya Sree Harsha has instructed officials to create awareness among brick kiln owners about the Labour Act, ensure compliance and provide adequate facilities for workers. “Most of these labourers come from Odisha,” said Peddapalli tahsildar Raj Kumar. As the season is set to begin in November, authorities have focused on the need to monitor these kilns, citing frequent cases of physical and sexual harassment of labourers by kiln owners. CONTINUED ON P5 THE oxygen had been sucked out of the place. A cheery afternoon crowd were refusing to believe what was unfolding. The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium was bearing witness to the death of a dynasty, a kingdom being knocked down in front of their eyes... an end of an incomparable era. Shortly after Tea on Day 3, as Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin tried to string together a couple of commas towards achieving the improbable, there was a cer- New Zealand players celebrate Rohit Sharma’s wicket in Pune on Saturday | PTI The BJP-led NDA government is reportedly planning a special joint sitting of Parliament on November 26 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. The joint session will be held in the historic Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan, the venue where the first Constituent Assembly had adopted the Constitution on November 26, 1949, after which it came into effect on January 26, 1950. Sources indicated that a formal call on the joint session will be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs shortly. ARE YOU A RUBBER STAMP? PANEL ASKS CE | P4 WITH THIS ISSUE The New Don PLUS 12 PAGES  Demand implementation of ‘One Police’ policy similar to the one in force in Tamil Nadu  Reacting to the protest staged by constables in uniforms across the state, the DGP, in a circular, warned them to report for duty immediately  The police chief assured them that their grievances are being examined by senior police officers ‘STRESSED’ COPS UP IN ARMS Constables stage a sit-in at the TGSP battalion at Mamnoor in Warangal on Saturday | P3 Social media told to purge content on hoax bomb threats R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi Women workers from Odisha are seen toiling in a brick kiln in Peddapalli district Duodecennial defeat: India’s fortress breached by New Zealand tain element of tragicomedy. The two spinners, so often who have bowled India to victory in these conditions to preserve their proud home record, were merely delaying the inevitable. Even as hundreds of fans started making their way to the exits, the two veterans fought gamely for 44 minutes. Once Ashwin fell to Mitchell Santner, the Kiwi picking up his 13th scalp of the Test, any sense of a miracle evaporated. The Black Caps, the inaugural World Test Championship champs, had mastered one of the hardest Spl Parliament session to mark 75th anniv of Constitution  Constables of Telangana State Special Police (TGSP) demand weekly offs HISTORIC OUTCOME S W A R O O P S W A M I N AT H A N @ Pune INTER-STATE CONTINUED ON P4 Exploitation of brick kiln workers goes unchecked N A V E E N K U M A R TA L L A M EXPRESS READ challenges in the sport; win a Test series in India. The most unlikely team to end more than a decade of dominance. It’s hard to put into words the enormity of this upset for a few reasons. Since the beginning of 2013 till the end of the Bangladesh series earlier this month, the hosts had played 53 Tests at home and won 42 (16 of them by an innings). The Kiwis had won only two away Tests since the beginning of the 2019 WTC cycle till two weeks ago. Put it this way — a team that seldom wins away from home beat the team that always wins at home 2-0 in 10 days. It will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest shocks the sport has known this century. However, skipper Sharma refused to do any immediate ‘postmortem’ following the loss. “This is the first time we have had collapses,” he said. “We are not able to bat properly. So, it is allowed once in 12 years. If it had been happening for 12 years, we would not have won. But, we have high expectations in India. We have to win all the MORE ON P11 matches.” WITH hoax bomb threats to airlines continuing unabated, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued an advisory directing social media platforms to promptly remove such misinformation and refrain from hosting similar content. Stating that such hoax bomb threats pose a potential threat to public order and security the , ministry warned that intermediaries, including social media platforms like X, Facebook, Telegram, and other apps that fail to exercise due diligence will be liable for action under the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. As part of their due diligence obligations, it is the responsibility of concerned intermediaries, including social media platforms, to promptly take necessary action by not allowing any user to host, display, publish, store, update, or share any unlawful or false information, the advisory said. Over 275 Indian carrier flights received bomb threats in 12 days, mostly via social media. On Saturday at least 10 ho, tels in Gujarat’s Rajkot received hoax bomb threats.