LPG refill booking gap cut to 25 days The Centre has directed oil marketing companies to revise inter-refill booking interval for all domestic LPG consumers move follows dip in refill MADURAI l tuesday l september 08, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l LATE CITY EDITION Defence ministry clears purchases worth `1.1 lakh cr Forces to get advanced choppers, radars; Su-30MKI fighter jets to get major upgrades J A V A R I A R A N A @ New Delhi THE defence ministry on Monday cleared military hardware purchases worth `1.1 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Approximately 98% of the procurement by value will come from Indian industry . The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), or inprinciple administrative approvals, for the defence acquisitions. For the Air Force, the DAC cleared “various proposals to enhance the war-fighting capability of fighters, transports and helicopters”. Sources said these include the overhaul of 40 Su-30MKIs by Hindustan Aeronautics, twice the number the PSU had earlier proposed. IAF operates around 260 Su-30MKIs, its mainstay fighter fleet. The DAC had earlier cleared the overhaul of Su-30 aero-engine aggregates. The approval seeks to address a gap in the IAF’s long-range beyond-visual-range capability with Operation Sindoor underscoring the , requirement. The overhaul covers modifications to allow the Sukhois to fire the RVV-BD, the export version of Russia’s R-37M missile. Weighing 510 kg and carrying a 60-kg warhead, the missile has a range of 200 km and is designed to engage AWACS aircraft, aerial refuellers and other high-value airborne assets. For the Navy, the DAC cleared the design, development and subsequent procurement of a marine gas turbine in the 24-28 MW class, with the ministry saying the propulsion system “will reduce dependency on foreign vendors”. India currently imports turbines for several frontline destroyers and frigates. The Navy will also get Arudhra radars, which “will replace the existing Air Route Surveillance Radars at various Naval Air Stations”. Developed by the DRDO, Arudhra is a four-dimensional active phased-array radar with an instrumented range of 400 km whichis able to detect a two-square-metre target at up to 300 km. The Army stands to get more HAL-built advanced light helicopters, or Dhruv, to “execute complex missions across all terrains and operational situations”. A `8,073 crore deal for 34 ALH Mk-III was signed with HAL in March 2024. E x p r e s s Re a d Beachfront site picked for TN’s new secretariat Chennai: The TN government has identified a 26.36-acre site at Pattinapakkam to build a new 15-storey secretariat-cumassembly complex with 20 lakh sq ft of built-up area at an estimated cost of `1,200 crore. The site includes Foreshore Estate and other government land parcels. GCC and TNHB have issued NOCs, with administrative approval expected shortly | P2 Bypolls on Oct 6 for 2 TN seats and one in Pondy Chennai: The ECI has announced bypolls to Madurantakam and Dharapuram seats in TN and Thattanchavady in Puducherry on October 6. The TN seats fell vacant after AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama resigned and joined the TVK, while Puducherry CM N Rangasamy quit Thattanchavady seat after winning both Thattanchavady and Mangalam constituencies | P7 CM C Joseph Vijay speaks in the Assembly on Monday during his reply to allegations regarding home department | Express Vijay fires graft salvo; DMK dubs it ‘cinema script’ e x press ne w s service @ Chennai DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity to various acquisition proposals at an estimated cost of `1,10,000 cr Defence ministry CBRN recce vehicles The Army is set to get Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear recce vehicles, high mobility vehicles, self-propelled mechanical mine layers, advanced light helicopters, and trawl tanks Acceptance of Necessity AoN is the first step in defence acquisition. The process involves tech evaluation, trials as well as negotiations. Big acquisitions will require more govt approvals Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday launched a broadside against the opposition DMK, invoking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) letters and the 50-year-old Sarkaria Commission report to accuse the party of indulging in “scientific corruption” during its stints in power. Responding to the allegations outside the House, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin called the CM’s warning CM’s address a “memorised In a reference to cinema script” that sought to recent comments deflect to decades-old issues made by without responding to his Udhayanidhi pointed questions on the Stalin in the state’s law and order. context of an In his reply to the debate on actor, for which the Home Department, Vijay he was arrested, targeted DMK patriarch M Vijay said politics Karunanidhi, current party could not be chief MK Stalin, and LoP Ud- an excuse to hayanidhi Stalin as alleged demean people, beneficiaries of corruption, particularly triggering loud protests from women | P4 DMK members, who later staged a walkout from the Assembly . Citing ED records, the CM listed out alleged corruption during the DMK regime in the MAWS department and in Tasmac. Vijay also targeted “Karur gang”, and accused V Ashok Kumar, brother of Senthil Balaji, of orchestrating fraud, tender manipulation linked to transport department and contracts.  FULL REPORTS ON: P4 pg-owner arrested in rajasthan day after tragedy Hariram Gupta, the 81-year-old retired Indian Air Force Sergeant, was apprehended by Delhi Police from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan on Monday US market open for Indian space startups, says Sergio Gor PA D M I N I D H R U V A R A J & B O S K Y K H A N N A @ Bengaluru US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday said that the American market is open for Indian space startups as the two countries move towards ‘co-creation’ from ‘cooperation’ and data-sharing. Stressing that NASA and ISRO will work together on the Moon Base Programme, he said: “Make no mistake: we are going back to the Moon, and we want India by our side.” Gor said the US-India space relationship is moving towards joint technolog y development, investment in startups and future space missions. “We are no longer just sharing data; we are co-designing instruments, co-funding startups, and co-authoring the future of human discovery,” he said, referring to discussions between the two countries on expanding their civil space partnership. He said India’s space sector reforms have ignited a commercial awakening. Innovators like Pixxel and GalaxEye are redefining Earth observation. Digantara is leading the way in space situational awareness. Bellatrix is propelling space forward. He said the US wants to build a direct commercial corridor between American industry and Indian innovators. “The US and India are working to gether on multiple sectors and at unthinkable working levels.” American market is open to you. Our investors are watching. Our ecosystems welcome you. We are here to help US envoy Sergio Gor Pixxel raises $100 mn Bengalurubased planetaryinfra firm Pixxel raised $100-million Series C funding round, marking the singlelargest funding round organised by a space-tech company in India SC judge shoots off fourth letter to CJI S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE internal war in higher judiciary has intensified with Supreme Court’s Justice Sandeep Mehta writing his fourth consecutive letter to Chief Justice Surya Kant against Rajasthan High Court’s acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, levelling fresh charges of interfering in an internal judicial enquiry and misconducts. Quoting CJI Surya Kant’s earlier remark that judges should not try to “hit sixes” before retirement, Justice Mehta in his fourth letter on August 30 wrote in a reference, “Jus- Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma Justice Sandeep Mehta tice Sharma seems to be possessed of a licence to hit sixes ever since he took over as Acting Chief Justice.” According to sources in the Supreme Court registry, the said internal judicial enquiry relates to allegations that a High Court judicial officer displayed indecent photographs of a lady judicial officer on his phone. A committee was formed, but Justice Sharma allegedly interfered and leaked confidential proceedings. “Justice Sharma has made direct intervention in the enquiry proceedings, hampering the independence of the committee...” Justice Mehta wrote. He alleged that the committee, comprising three female judges of the Rajasthan High Court, recorded the minutes and refused to proceed with the enquiry Justice Mehta had earli. er also written similar letters on August 2, 10 and 17 accusing Justice Sharma of misconduct and “maladministration.” Judicial corruption In his fourth letter dated August 30, Justice Mehta said he has “material” against Justice Sharma regarding arbitrary rule changes, judicial interference and corruption and administrative breakdown at Rajasthan High Court The earlier interval for refill booking for rural consumers was 45 days. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said on Monday that the decision follows an improvement in LPG supply situation and a reduction in refill backlog Recently, India significantly diversified its LPG imports, with the United States emerging as the country’s largest supplier Gulf war effect on LPG supply Owing to the West Asia crisis, LPG was the worst-hit fuel as India imports 60% of its domestic requirement, with 90% of those from the Gulf 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 ■ ■