tirupati l wednesday l october 29, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l late city EDITION Montha hits coast near Antarvedi 1,204 rehabilitation centres set up in 403 mandals of 22 districts  Ulavapadu records 17 cm rainfallWoman dies as palm tree uproots in Konaseema S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada The severe cyclonic storm Montha made a landfall near Antarvedi in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district around 8 pm on Tuesday unleashing torrential rains, and , high-velocity winds across coastal Andhra Pradesh. The landfall lasted nearly four hours with sustained wind speed of 90–100 kmph, and gusts reaching up to 110 kmph. The condition of sea was reported as rough to very rough, prompting red alerts across several districts. The cyclone impact was felt across nine coastal districts from Srikakulam to Nellore. Heavy rainfall was recorded in Ulavapadu (17 cm) of Prakasam district, and Kavali (17 cm) and Dagadarthi (15.5 cm ) of Nellore. Contrary to fears, not much High tides under the influence of Montha batter the Uppada road in Kakinada district | Prasant Madugula rainfall was recorded in Konaseema and Kakinada. In Visakhapatnam, gusty winds uprooted trees and triggered minor landslides, leading to beach closure and heightened coastal security Flash flood warning was . issued for vulnerable areas. Uprooting of trees was also reported in several districts, including Kakinada, Konaseema, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore. At several places, electric poles were uprooted disrupting power supply Authori. ties acted swiftly to restore power supply , and clear the uprooted trees. One fatality was reported in Mamidikuduru mandal of Konaseema district. Gudapalli Veeraveni (50) died when a palm tree fell on her while she was going to a grocery shop. In Allavaram mandal, a large tree fell, disrupting traffic and damaging power infrastructure, plunging nearby areas into darkness. To address the aftermath of the severe cyclone, the Andhra Pradesh government launched a P4 full-scale emergency operation.  The State government set up 1,204 rehabilitation centres in 403 mandals of 22 districts, besides activating 488 control rooms. Over 75,800 people were evacuated to safety in the State. Three helipads came up at Kakinada Urban, Pithapuram and Tallarevu Vehicle movement suspended in 7 dists Gusty winds damage coconut orchards in Godavari districts; a damaged auto in a wall collapse; food distribution at a relief camp | Prasant Madugula / G Satyanarayana As a precautionary measure, the State government has ordered suspension of vehicle movement in seven districts from 8.30 pm to 6 am with exemption for emergency services. Schools will remain closed in affected districts 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 SJ-100 Deal with Russia to MAnufacture passenger jet MAYANK SIN G H @ New Delhi Mehli Mistry voted out of Tata Trusts BENN KOCHUVEEDAN @ Mumbai IN a dramatic shake-up within Tata Trusts, Mehli Mistry— once known as Ratan Tata’s closest confidant—has been voted out of the board, marking an abrupt end to his rapid rise in the $180-billion Tata conglomerate’s power structure. A majority of trustees on Tuesday voted against Mistry’s reappointment, ending his first three-year term as trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Tog ether, these two cornerstone entities hold 5 2 % o f Tat a Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. Mehli Mistry Mistry, handpicked by Ratan Tata in October 2022, was a contender for a future seat on the Tata Sons board. His unceremonious exit signals a clear consolidation of control by Noel Tata, who now firmly asserts himself as the chairman of all Tata Trusts that owns 66.6% of Tata Sons. Sources said a bloc led by Noel, Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, along with another unidentified trustee, voted against Mistry’s continuation. This follows the September 11 episode when trustees led by Mistry voted to oust Srinivasan and Singh from Tata Sons. For Noel, his authority over the dozen-odd Trusts is now undisputed, but he faces a likely legal challenge from Mistry . In a first of its kind deal for India, Russia moved beyond joint defence manufacture to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on building a twin-engine narrow-body passenger aircraft for short-haul flights in the country. The deal comes ahead of Russia President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to India and US squeeze to end the Ukraine war. The MoU between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russia’s Public Joint Stock Company-United Aircraft Cor poration (PJSCUAC) for production of civil commuter aircraft Superjet (SJ)-100 was signed in Moscow on Monday . The HAL called it the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Indian aviation industry as, “The manufacturing of the SJ-100 aircraft will also be the first instance wherein a complete passenger aircraft will be produced in India.” The last such project was HAL’s production of AVRO HS-748, which started in 1961 and ended in 1988. As on date, more than 200 SJ-100s are under operation by more than 16 commercial airline operators. The aircraft can be a game changer for short-haul connectivity under the UDAN scheme in India. Under the agreement, HAL will have the rights to manufacture SJ-100s for domestic customers. As per HAL’s estimates, “over the next 10 years, the Indian aviation sector will require over 200 jets in this category for regional connectivity and an additional 350 aircraft for the Indian Ocean region to serve nearby international tourist destinations.” HAL saw it as a step towards fulfilling the dream of ‘ atmanirbhar Bharat’ in the A civil aviation sector. Manufacturing will also strengthen the private sector and create direct and indirect jobs in the aviation industry HAL’s . Prabhat Ranjan and PJSCUAC’s Ole g Bogomolov signed the MoU. SJ-100’s maiden flight was in 2008. 8th Pay Commission announced Cabinet clears panel’s terms of reference; revised salaries, pensions likely wef Jan 1, 2026 MUKESH RAN J AN @ New Delhi In a big boost to around 48 lakh central government employees and 67 lakh pensioners, the Centre on Tuesday announced the long-awaited 8th Central Pay Commission and approved its terms of reference (ToR). Briefing the media after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the panel, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, has been given 18 months to submit its report. The revised pay structure is expected to come into force on January 1, 2026. The commission will examine existing salary slabs, allowances, grade pay structures, pension formulae and other financial components that shape government compensation. The review is expected to take into account macroeconomic realities, fiscal considerations and employment competitiveness. “The 8th Central Pay Commission will be a temporary body. The Commission will comprise one Chairperson; One Member (Part Time) and o n e M e m b e r- S e c r e t a r y, ” Vaishnaw said. IIM Bangalore Professor Pulak Ghosh has been named as the member of the panel and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Pankaj Jain as the member-secretary . Vaikunta Dwara Darshan to continue for 10 days The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board meeting has decided to set up an expert committee to streamline the token issuance for Vaikunta Dwara Darshan | P5 Rejig of dists should reflect people’s wishes: CM Express News Service @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has suggested that the reorganisation of districts taken up in the State reflect the aspirations of people, and ensure administrative convenience. The lapses that took place in the reorganisation of districts during the previous YSRCP regime should be rectified, and the rejig should not give scope for new issues, Naidu asserted. It may be noted here that the State government had constituted a seven member Cabinet Sub-Committee on July 22 on reorganisation of districts. The Chief Minister, along with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, held a review meeting with the Cabinet Sub-Committee, comprising Anag ani Satya Prasad, P Narayana, Nadendla Manohar, Y Satya Kumar Yadav, Vangalapudi Anitha, Nimmala Rama- naidu and BC Janardhan Reddy, on Tuesday. The Cabin e t SubCommittee informed the Chief Minister that it prepared a preliminary report on the district reorganisation after discussing with the people, collectors and people’s representatives. Naidu discussed the assurances given to the people during polls on forming new revenue divisions, and issues that may arise after the district reorganisation. He said differences cropped up among people over district reorganisation issues due to the lapses committed by the previous regime. The reorganisation of revenue divisions should be taken up separately, and a study should be conducted on Polavaram submergence mandals. Another meeting should be held on the district reorganisation within a week before coming to a final decision, the Chief Minister said. India in cross-hairs Inside the Centre’s huddle on information warfare S u m i t K u m a r S i n g h @ New Delhi Behind closed doors at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan last week, some of the country’s top bureaucrats gathered for what insiders described as a “crucial and unusually candid” discussion. The task before them: to draw up a coordinated strategy against ‘misinformation’ — the new battlefield where foreign entities are said to be targeting India. The day-long meeting on October 25 brought together all Union government secretaries. It was chaired by the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretaries, P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, along with Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju. The objective, according to officials, was to ensure that every ministry speaks in one voice and that communication reflects what they called a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach. A messaging rethink Sources said the meeting was part of a wider effort to align the government’s communication with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Reform, Perform, Transform and Inform.” Somanathan, they added, called this the “guiding principle” in the thrust towards a Viksit Bharat — a developed India. Beneath the polished phrasing, however, was a clear sense of concern. Officials acknowledged that ‘misinformation’ campaigns — especially those believed to be orchestrated by foreign actors — are becoming more sophisticated and targeted. One example was of Operation Sindoor, cited as an instance of coordinated infor mation warfare aimed at undermining India’s image abroad. From coordination to credibility The first part of the meeting dealt with tightening coordination among ministries to ensure a swift and unified response to false or misleading narratives. The second explored new digital tools and emerging technologies that could help the government tell its story better — and more directly to citizens. Officials stressed the importance of simplicity and authenticity in communication. “Policies must be explained in the language people understand,” one participant said. “It’s not just about visibility anymore — it’s about trust.” Reducing the middlemen The meet also turned inward, examining how the government itself handles outreach. Participants discussed cutting down on the use of private agencies for official publicity The Ministry of . Information and Broadcasting, they suggested, should take the lead in crafting and disseminating communication material across platforms. The underlying message, one senior official summed up, was that the age of one-way communication is over. “Public messaging has to be credible, consistent and connected,” he said. “That’s the only way to win the information war.” The government had in principle decided to constitute the panel in January Commenting . on the delay in the rollout of the process, Vaishnaw said: “The Narendra Modi government has taken the decision in a record time, as it required wider consultations before finalising the ToR and the panel with a whole range of stakeholders, including large ministries like Defence, Home and Railways, as well as state governments and unions.” The pay commission recommendations are important as it will affect not just central government staff but also influence the compensation frameworks across state governments, public sector units, autonomous institutions and even private sector pay-benchmarking in some segments. The announcement comes ahead of the Bihar elections, to be held on November 6 and 11. Justice Ranjana Desai to head the commission The panel’s chair, former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, is also the chairman of the Press Council of India. She has headed major panels, including Delimitation Commission for UT of J&K ‘ToR cleared after consulting states’ Information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw the ToR of the panel has been finalised after consultation with various ministries, state governments and staff side of joint consultative machinery Miffed Rahul skips event Though the Oppn tried to showcase unity during the manifesto’s release, the absence of Congress’ Rahul Gandhi told a different story. Rahul was miffed that RJD boss Lalu Yadav declined to meet Cong leaders K C Venugopal, Ashok Gehlot and Ajay Maken on Saturday to discuss joint campaign and other issues, said sources Tejashwi stamp on Oppn’s manifesto Ramashankar and Preetha N a i r @ Patna/ New Delhi The Opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday released its joint manifesto that had a large photograph of chief ministerial candidate and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on its cover, and spoke of his vows for total transformation, ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly election. It dwarfed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s thumbnail image on the top-left corner of cover page. The manifesto pledged to enact a law within 20 days of forming the new government to ensure one government job per family. The process of job distribution would begin within 20 months of assuming power, it assured. It said Jeevika Didis would be granted permanent status as government employees with a monthly salary of `30,000; all contractual and outsourced workers would be made permanent; and the old pension scheme would be restored. The manifesto also pledged to resist any “unconstitutional law” imposed by the Centre and to protect the constitutional rights of all minority communities. The grand alliance promised that the Waqf Amendment Act would be put on hold and the management of Waqf properties will be made more welfareoriented and beneficial by making them transparent, while the management of Buddhist temples in Bodh Gaya will be handed over to the people of the Buddhist community . Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s no-show at the event became a talking point. He apparently was cross because RJD boss Lalu Yadav declined to meet a party delegation, saying it could be done only after the Chhath festival. Rahul was also upset about the allies are fighting against each other in at least 11 seats. These ‘friendly fights’ indicate the failure to arrive at a consensus despite several rounds of talks. Rahul will begin campaigning from Wednesday .