tadepalligudem l friday l november 29, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION TRAI assures no delay in OTP delivery as new rules to kick in The regulator said the new regulations meant to improve message traceability and combat fraud will not affect the delivery of bank OTPs New regulations to take effect on Dec 1 The new norms, likely to take effect on Sunday, will require telecom service providers to trace the origin of bulk messages, including one-timepasswords. Some reports had said this would delay delivery of messages, including OTPs. “This is factually incorrect. It will not delay delivery of any message,” the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in a post on X TRAI Oct deadline pushed on telecos’ request ■ ■ TRAI has directed telecom providers, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, to implement traceability in their systems October 31 was initially fixed as the date for the new regulations to kick in. But this deadline was extended amid concerns raised by telecom operators about potential for service disruptions | P10 had proposed to increase scrutiny of users sending over 50smses a day 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 TDP likely to nominate one senior leader to Rajya Sabha Bangladesh Buzz on tough talk as Jaishankar meets Modi S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada PR E E THA NAIR @ New Delhi AMID escalating tensions in Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the situation. There is speculation that Jaishankar may make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on Friday if there , are no disruptions. In response to this newspaper’s query on the possibility of the government making a statement on the issue, Jaishankar said, “We haven’t decided anything yet”. Sources said Jaishankar’s meeting with Modi lasted for half an hour. The meeting comes in the wake of the recent arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das and the increasing attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, MoS for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said in the Rajya Sabha that it is the responsibility of the Muhammad Yunus-led administration to protect the minorities. In a written reply to a question, he said New Delhi has expressed its concerns to Dhaka. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said officials of the foreign ministry will brief the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on Bangladesh on December 11. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concerns over the attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh but said she will abide by the Centre’s decision. In a relief to ISKCON, the Bangladesh High Court on Thursday rejected a petition filed by a lawyer seeking a ban on the group’s activities the country. The petition was moved after a prosecutor was killed in clashes between security personnel and supporters of Chinmoy, who was earlier P9 linked to ISKCON.  Priyanka makes debut Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi takes pictures of sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after she took oath as a Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, holding a copy of the Constitution, on Thursday. (Inset) The photo Rahul shot and shared on Instagram. Parliament remained paralysed for the third day over Manipur and Adani row | PTI | P7 Former Guntur MP Galla Jayadev a key contender? With less than two weeks remaining for filing nominations to contest the Rajya Sabha elections, speculation is rife over who the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will nominate for the three vacant seats in the Upper House of Parliament.   So far, there is no clarity on whether the yellow party which , currently has no representation in the Rajya Sabha, will contest all three seats or share them with either of its alliance partners — the Jana Sena or the BJP. Nonetheless, intense lobbying for the coveted post has begun. With three-time MP K Ram Mohan Naidu appointed as the Civil Aviation Minister and two-time MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu named Chairperson of the Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party (TDPP), Galla Jayadev, who represented Guntur in the Lok Sabha for two consecutive terms from 2014 to 2024, had previously announced his decision to step away from politics to focus on his business. However, sources now suggest that the Co-Founder and Chairman of Amara Raja Group is reconsidering a comeback and may be eyeing an RS seat Mahayuti leaders discuss Maha power-share formula with Shah Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar hold talks with the Union home minister S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai Eight days after the ruling Mahayuti’s thumping victory in Maharashtra, its leaders Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar held talks with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi amid indications that the final call on chief ministership could be made in a day or two. The meeting is also expected to discuss cabinet berths. Highly placed sources said out of total 42 ministerial slots in the outgoing government, the BJP wants to retain at least 50% while giving the Shiv Sena 30% and the NCP 20%. Sources said the RSS wants a senior party leader elevated as chief minister, adding the message has been conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “RSS was silent in Lok Sabha polls, therefore BJP’s tally crashed from 23 to 9 in Maharashtra. But in the state polls, its cadre was active and that changed the final outcome. We have to promote a strong and young leader, therefore this is the best time to elevate Fadnavis as CM and later project him as the face of the BJP at the Centre,” said sources requesting anonymity . However, the BJP top brass is considering other names as well. “Fadnavis is a Brahmin. In the state elections, OBCs voted unitedly for the Mahayuti as did Marathas in large numbers. So, the BJP leadership is evaluating if they have a suitable OBC or Maratha candidate in the party for the top post, hence the delay in the final call,” said top sources. Ajit Pawar is certain to retain his position as deputy 50:30:20 BJP proposes a 50:30:20 formula for portfolio sharing with Shiv Sena and NCP Ajit Pawar hoping to keep all plum portfolios he had in the outgoing government BJP uneasy with Shinde’s proposal on promoting his son as deputy chief minister chief minister (DCM) and wants to keep the weighty portfolios he held in the previous government. He is pushing for finance, agriculture etc. Shinde wants Home and Urban Development if he is not made the chief minister. “Shinde proposed that his son Shrikant Shinde be elevated as DCM but the BJP is lukewarm, as it would weaken its campaign against dynasts. Shinde, however, argues that it is for the Shiv Sena to decide its DCM candidate, not the BJP. The flux has prompted many senior Sena leaders to enter the DCM ring,” said sources. Sources said many senior NCP and Sena ministers in the last government are unsure whether they will be part of the new dispensation. “Keeping everyone happy this time around will be tough because the number of MLAs is more. The massive mandate is good for stability but it is not easy to keep everyone in good humour,” said a senior NCP leader requesting anonymity . Panel formed to probe TIDCO irregularities CCI launches probe against Google ment projects in the district, the MLAs informed him about the alleged irregularities perThe State government has taining to TIDCO houses in the constituted a committee to con- past five years. They pointed duct an enquiry into the alle- out that though the Selection gations of changes made to the Committee had approved the beneficiaries’ list and misuse initial beneficiary list for allotof beneficiary contribution in ment of TIDCO houses during the allotment of AP2017-19 period, TI D C O ( A n d h r a names of beneficiar‘DDs not given ies were altered and Pradesh Township to banks’ And Infrastructure replaced between Development Corpo- MLAs claimed that 2019 and 2024. ration) houses under DDs handed over by The MLAs claimed the previous YSRC that Demand Drafts beneficiaries as regime. contribution for the (DDs) handed over As per a governby PMAY (Pradhan houses was not ment order issued on Mantri Awas Yojana submitted to the Thursday, the com-Urban) beneficiarbanks by the mittee, comprising ies towards contriprevious regime. Municipal Adminisbution for the houses Instead, the DDs tration Director, were encashed and was not submitted to MEPMA (Mission the banks by the prethe funds were for Elimination of vious regime. Inmisappropriated, Poverty in Municistead, the DDs were they alleged pal Areas) Mission encashed and the Director and APTIDfunds were misapCO Managing Director, has propriated, they alleged. been tasked with enquiring Legislators raised the same into the matter and submitting issues during a short discusa report within one month. sion on APTIDCO in the AsDuring a review meeting sembly on November 16. In rechaired by Chief Minister N sponse, MAUD Minister P Chandrababu Naidu in Visa- Narayana asserted that an enkhapatnam on November 2 to quiry into the allegations will discuss the ongoing develop- be conducted. THE Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday launched an investigation into Google after online gaming firm WinZo accused the US tech giant of anti-competitive practices. In the order, the regulator asked its director-general to wrap up the probe and submit a report in 60 days. WinZo, an online gaming platfor m, has alleged that Google’s policies for hosting apps on the Play Store are unfair. It says Google’s Developer E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi express read Swiatek tests positive, banned for a month Chennai: Five-time Grand Slam champ Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication known as TMZ | P11 Saved more than `1L cr with SECI deal: Jagan Vijayawada: “I saved over `1 lakh crore with the SECI deal,” former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said in response to corruption allegations against him | P4 Distribution Agreement and Developer Program Policies are one-sided, adding that Google restricts hosting of gaming applications that offer Real Money Games (RMP) in India. As a result, customers are forced to download the WinZo app from its website. Additionally, when users download the app on Android devices, misleading warnings are displayed, which WinZo claims tarnish its reputation. The CCI has taken notice of these allegations and ordered an investigation into Google’s business practices, citing concerns over discriminatory conduct. The regulator noted that exclusion from the Play Store is tantamount to denial of market access. As for the disclaimer that pops up while downloading the app, the CCI said the warning is peculiar to the Google-operated Android OS and is completely illegal. sources say the party is likely to nominate at least one senior leader to the Rajya Sabha — preferably someone with strong coordination skills who can manage State-related issues in the national capital. The need for elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats arose following the resignation of YSRC MPs Mopidevi Venkataramana Rao, Beeda Masthan Rao, and R Krishnaiah. Mopidevi’s term was set to end on June 21, 2026, while the other two MPs’ terms would have run until June 2028. Sources also told this news- paper that the TDP might nominate Masthan Rao. However, other names circulating for possible nomination include leaders such as Galla Jayadev, Bhashyam Ramakrishna, Kambhampati Rammohan Rao, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, TD Janardh a n , a n d R S r i n iv a s u l u Reddy . Interestingly, Galla Jayadev, who represented Guntur in the Lok Sabha for two consecutive terms from 2014 to 2024, had previously announced his decision to step away from politics to focus on his business.  P4 Mild intensity blast in Delhi’s Rohini area, second in forty days U J WAL J ALALI @ New Delhi chemical cocktail Preliminary examination suggested traces of ammonium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide and some sulphur compounds. They were in a polythene bag It is probably similar to what was found last time outside CRPF school. Its composition will be examined thoroughly FSL official A mild-intensity explosion at the entrance of a park near Delhi Police’s Crime Branch office in Rohini on Thursday cocked a snook at the security apparatus in the national capital at a time when Parliament is in session. This was the second blast in Rohini’s Prashant Vihar area in the past 40 days. On October 20, a mysterious blast had taken place near Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) school in Rohini. Its probe is still underway . Thursday’s blast took place just 2 km away from the site of the earlier explosion outside the CRPF school. It left the driver of a milk distribwution van injured. He was identified as Chetan Khushwaha, 27. There was no damage to his van, though. “He was taken to Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital from where he was discharged after first aid,” a senior officer said. A Delhi Fire Service officer said a call regarding an explosion near Bansi Sweet Shop, Prashant Vihar, Rohini was received at 11.48 am following which four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Senior police officers also reached the site followed by multiple security agencies, including the bomb disposal squad of the National Security Guard (NSG) and National Investigative Agency (NIA). Investigators gathered fragments of ‘white powder’ from the site and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). They also recovered small wires, which indicate that they could have been used to detonate the bomb. NSG personnel at the site of the blast in Delhi’s Rohini on Thursday | Parveen Negi IMD issues red alert in Tirupati & Nellore dists E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a red alert for Tirupati and Nellore districts and orange alert for Chittoor and Annamayya districts as heavy to very heavy rains are likely to lash the regions on Friday due to the deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. ‘Number 1’ warning is in force for all ports in the State. The deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved northeastwards with a speed of 10 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred about 340 km east-southeast of Nagappattinam, 410 km southeast of Puducherry and 470 km southeast of Chennai at 17:30 hours IST of Thursday . It is very likely to move nearly northwards and maintain its intensity of deep depression till Friday morning. Thereafter, it will move northwestwards, and weaken gradu- ally into a depression by evening. It will continue to move further northwestwards and is likely to cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducher ry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram around the morning of November 30 as a depression with a wind speed of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph. On Friday, heavy to very heavy rains are likely in isolated parts of Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, and Annamayya dis- tricts, whereas light to heavy rain is expected to lash North Coastal and Godavari-Krishna delta regions, besides parts of Prakasam and Rayalseema districts. Given the gales with windspeed of 55 to 65 kmph gusting at 75 kmph along the sea coast of South Andhra Pradesh, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. People in low-lying areas have also been put on alert. The Agriculture Department also issued an advisory for farmers.