HYDERABAD THURSDAY JUNE 27, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 16 LATE CITY EDITION JAISHANKAR FLAGS INDIA’S CONCERNS OVER VIOLENCE TO MYANMAR DY PM The external affairs minister on Wednesday conveyed India’s ‘deep concerns’ over the impact of violence in Myanmar on the Indian border FIRST ENGAGEMENT WITH SENIOR JUNTA LEADER SECURITY SOUGHT FOR INDIAN PROJECTS Jaishankar’s meeting with Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister U Than Shwe in New Delhi is the government’s first publicly acknowledged engagement with a senior leader of the Myanmar military junta in India. Jaishankar told Shwe that the continuing violence in Myanmar has led to a rise in illegal arms and narcotics arriving at the Indian border ■ Jaishankar sought cooperation for the early return of about 100 Indians trapped in Myanmar’s Myawaddy town. Most of them fell prey to an international racket promising jobs in Myanmar ■ The minister also said he had pressed for credible security protection for India’s various ongoing projects in the strife-torn country 1,640 km IS THE LENGTH OF INDIA’S BORDER WITH MYANMAR 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 Birla stays in LS Speaker’s saddle Second presiding officer to get two terms; elected by voice vote R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi NATIONAL Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Om Birla was on Wednesday elected Lok Sabha Speaker for the second consecutive term after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopted through voice vote. The Speaker election for the 18th Lok Sabha was keenly watched as it witnessed a rare contest between Birla and the Opposition INDIA bloc’s candidate Kodikunnil Suresh after both sides failed to arrive at a consensus. Birla became the only presiding officer to serve two terms after Balram Jakhar. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab made the announcement after the Opposition did not press for division of votes to the motion. While elections to the Speaker’s post were common before Independence, the position witnessed contests only thrice in Independent India — in 1952, 1967 and 1976. Three-term BJP MP Birla represents Kota in the Lok Sabha. NDA allies Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM-S), Prataprao Jadhav (Shiv Sena) and Chirag Paswan (LJP-RV) also moved motions in Birla’s favour. Shiv Sena (UBT) member Arvind Sawant moved the motion to elect Congress’ Suresh to the post. After the voice vote, Mahtab announced that all other motions, barring the prime minister’s, became infructuous. Birla’s election was a foregone conclusion as the NDA has 293 members as against the INDIA bloc’s 237 in the Lok Sabha. Congratulating Birla on his re-election, Modi expressed confidence that he will guide parliamentarians and play a big role in the House in fulfilling people’s expectations. In his speech, Birla said that in the last decade, the expectations, hopes and aspirations of the people have increased. “Therefore, it becomes our responsibility to make collective efforts to fulfil their expectations and aspirations effectively The 18th . Lok Sabha is the world’s largest celebration of democracy More than 64 crore voters participated . with great enthusiasm. On behalf of the House, I express my gratitude to them,” he said. Video grab of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in a rare handshake before escorting Om Birla to the Speaker’s chair, in New Delhi on Wednesday | PTI SHARP STATEMENT “The nation turned into a prison... Emergency brought with it anti-social and dictatorial policies that destroyed the lives of the poor, the Dalits and the deprived,” Speaker Om Birla said Massive Opposition protest after Chair’s Emergency rap E N S @ New Delhi SOON after his election as Speaker, Om Birla on Wednesday sparked a row by reading out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency as an attack on the Constitution by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, triggering massive protests by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. “This House strongly condemns the decision to impose Emergency in 1975. We appreciate the determination of all those who opposed Emergency , fought and fulfilled the responsibility of protecting democra- cy 25th June 1975 will always be . known as a black chapter in the history of India,” he said. The House was adjourned after chaotic scenes of protests and sloganeering by the Opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Speaker’s reference to Emergency. “The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like,” Modi said. For his part, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “What we saw was the Speaker unfortunately raising a matter that had not been discussed in the House and in a manner that came across as confrontational.” WATER SUPPLY HIT IN MANY PARTS OF HYD DISRUPTIONS TO PERSIST TODAY FREEDOM HUG WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange meets his wife Stella after landing at Canberra, Australia, on Wednesday. He was freed under a US plea bargain deal | AP | P9 EXPRESS READ Pitroda reappointed Overseas Cong chief New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday reappointed Sam Pitroda as chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, weeks after he resigned over his remarks on the physical appearance of Indians. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said Pitroda has been reappointed with immediate effect. Demands met, TG junior docs call off strike Hyderabad: The state government and Telangana Junior Doctors Association finally reached consensus on Wednesday, prompting the doctors to end their statewide strike that began on June 24. The government agreed to meet nearly all of the doctors’ demands | P2 The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) said it has taken up repair works on a war-footing. Nevertheless, water supply would be impacted on Thursday too. There will be disruption and partial disruption in some areas. At other places, water will be supplied at low pressure SAVE WATER Consumers in affected areas have been requested to save water and use it judiciously THE Central government’s second 5G spectrum action on Wednesday saw subdued bidding by telecom companies, which collectively bid `11,340 crore for a total 141.4 MHz of airwaves. The bid value amounts to just 12% of the reserve price of `96,238 crore. The auction concluded in two days with seven rounds of bidding. Bharti Airtel emerged the top bidder by acquiring airwaves worth `6,856.76 crore, followed by Vodafone Idea at `3,510 crore. India’s largest telecom operator Reliance Jio had deposited the highest earnest money of `3,000 crore but it bid only `973.62 crore to pick up additional spectrum. In the previous 5G spectrum EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad A 60-year-old train passenger from Kerala died here in a private hospital while undergoing treatment a few days after the hook holding the middle berth accidentally detached and the seat fell on him. The victim, identified as Ali Khan TK, was travelling from Thrissur to Agra Cantonment in the Millennium Express on June 16. He was travelling on the lower berth of the sleeper coach, the police said. The middle berth was reportedly chained improperly and during the journey, the hook got detached. The middle berth fell on him and he suffered a neck injury. Due to the impact, he fell unconscious, the LUKEWARM RESPONSE This year’s auction included spectrum across various bands — 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz. However, telcos showed interest only in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2500 MHz bands auction held in August 2022, the government had fetched a record `1.5 lakh crore. The lukewarm response this time is attributed to the fact that most telecom service providers (TSPs), except Reliance Jio, participated in the auction mostly to renew their expired spectrums. Bharti Airtel, led by Sunil Mittal, acquired 97 MHz of spectrum to renew its expiring licences and also to bolster its mid-band spectrum holdings across select circles. Bharti Hexacom, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, acquired 15 MHz of airwaves for `1,001 crore. Vodafone Idea picked up 50 MHz spectrum across low band and mid band series (900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2500 MHz) in as many as 11 circles. Reliance Jio acquired additional spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in Bihar and West Bengal. The radiowaves on offer carry voice and data signals for mobile phones. “Spectrum auction 2024 was part of a continuous allocation process... TSPs have taken spectrum not only for continuity of service but for expanding their services but the volume is limited because already a large part of the spectrum required was auctioned only last year,” said Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. seeks BIG TIE Revanth statusnat’l highway for MEN IN BLUE SEEK T20 WC FINAL BERTH The Rohit Sharma-led side will take on England, the defending champions against whom they lost in 2022 T20 World Cup semifinals, in Guyana. A win on Thursday will take India to their first T20 WC final since 2014 | P11 RRR southern stretch Water supply to many parts of the city was hit on Wednesday. Officials said there were issues with the NRV valve of the second pump in Kodandapur Pump House of Krishna Drinking Water Supply Scheme Phase-II, which supplies water to many areas in the Greater Hyderabad limits THE AREAS WHERE WATER SUPPLY HAS BEEN DISRUPTED INCLUDE: NPA Miralam Balapur Maisaram Barkas Bhojagutta Allabanda Mekalamandi Bholakpur Chilakalguda Tarnaka Lalapet Boudha Nagar Marredpally Railways MES Cantonment Prakash Nagar Patigadda Hasmathpet Ferozguda Gautam Nagar Vaishali Nagar B N Reddy Nagar Vanasthalipuram Autonagar Alkapuri Colony Mahindra Hills Elugutta Ramantapur Uppal Nacharam Habsiguda Chilka Nagar Birappagadda Budvel Shastripuram Meerpet Badangpet Shamshabad Man dies after train’s middle berth falls on him police said. The railway staff received information about the incident around 6.30 pm and made an unscheduled stop at Ramagundam to detrain him and admit him to a nearby hospital. Ali was later shifted to a private hospital in Warangal and again to another private hospital in Begumpet, Hyderabad, for better treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries and died while undergoing treatment on June 24. After his death, the Mancherial railway police registered a case and are investigating the incident. Meanwhile, the of ficial spokesperson of the Ministry of Railways issued a statement on X saying, “It is clarified that the seat was not in damaged condition, neither it had fell down nor crashed/fallen. The seat was checked at Nizamuddin station and found Ok.” The spokesperson reiterated that the berth fell down due to improper placement of the chain. CM A Revanth Reddy, Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other ministers meet Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad CHIEF Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday urged Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to declare the southern part of the Regional Ring Road (RRR) a national highway and widen the Hyderabad-Vijayawada NH 65 to six lanes. He also asked the Union minister to allocate funds for RRR in the annual plan of NHAI this year On Wednesday, the chief minister, along with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, IT & Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, Road & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Chennur MLA G Vivek and Peddapalli MP G Vamsi Krishna, met Gadkari in New Delhi. During the meeting, widening of national highways in the state and commencement of works on the roads that have already been declared NHs were discussed. OTHER DEMANDS Upgrade Hyd-Vijayawada NH to six lanes. Resolve dispute between NHAI and contract agency and ensure road-widening works begin immediately Connect Manthani, which has been represented by PV Narasimha Rao & D Sripada Rao in the Assembly in the past, with a NH Recalling that the Sangareddy-Choutuppal stretch, that passes through Narsapur, Toopran, Gajwel, Jagadevpur and Bhuvanagiri (158.65 km), has already been declared a national highway, the CM assured the minister that half of the land acquisition cost will be borne by the state government. Revanth requested Gadkari to also declare the road from Choutuppal to Amangal, Shadnagar and Sangareddy (181.87 km) a national CONTINUED ON P5 highway . Delhi court sends Kejriwal to 3-day CBI custody S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi 5% quota for PwD in state edu institutions Hyderabad: The state government has decided to implement 5% reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities for admissions in all government and aided institutions as per the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 | P4 5G spectrum auction fetches just 12% of targeted revenue CBI officials leave Rouse Avenue Court with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal | PTI DELHI Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was on Wednesday sent to three-day CBI custody by a local court after his arrest by the central probe agency in the excise policy case. The CBI, which produced Kejriwal in Rouse Avenue Court, sought five-day remand to interrogate him in the case, but Judge Amitabh Rawat ordered three days of custody Kejriwal . is in Tihar Jail over his alleged involvement in a money laundering case linked to the nowscrapped liquor policy The En. forcement Directorate had arrested him on March 21. After serving a production warrant late on Tuesday night, the CBI on Wednesday sought the court’s permission before formally arresting him in the case. There was high drama during the hearing in the court- room, with Kejriwal himself addressing the court and saying he and other AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, were innocent. “I am innocent, my lord,” he told the judge. Rejecting the CBI’s plea that he had blamed Sisodia for the alleged scam, Kejriwal claimed that the central probe agency’s objective was to ensure that headlines in the media are manipulated. Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari, appearing for Kejri- wal, submitted that the CBI has been acting in a biased manner. Chaudhari alleged that the CBI didn’t give any notice to Kejriwal and said the timing of his arrest shows it was illegal. CBI’s lawyer D P Singh said the liquor policy was revamped at the behest of the ‘South Group’ during the pandemic. “What was the need of this,” Singh wondered and sought the CM’s custody saying he needed to be con, fronted with other accused.
Express Network Private Limited publishes thirty three E-paper editions of The New Indian Express newspaper , thirty two E-paper editions of Dinamani, one E-paper edition of The Morning Standard, one E-paper edition of Malayalam Vaarika magazine and one E-paper edition of the Indulge - The Morning Standard, Kolkatta.