tirupati l thursday l october 03, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION Two ex-IAF pilots among 3 dead in helicopter crash near Pune Two former Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots and an engineer were killed after a helicopter crashed and caught fire near Pune city on Wednesday Preliminary probe blames it on fog IAF chopper makes mayday call in Bihar The chopper took off from a golf course near Pune and was headed to Juhu when it crashed around 7.40 am. Primary information pointed to fog as the cause of the accident. A detailed probe is underway, the police said. The Agusta 109 helicopter belonged to Delhi-based Heritage Aviation. At the time of the crash, it was on hire by the Nationalist Congress Party ■ ■ In a separate incident, an IAF helicopter made an emergency landing in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar after it developed a snag. The chopper was returning after air-dropping relief materials to flood-affected people The chopper landed in a waterlogged area near Darbhanga. All four on board were IAF personnel. Officials said they were safe 7.30 am when the chopper crashed in Bavdhan area, about 25 km from pune city 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 Iran’s oil rigs, N-sites could face retaliatory Israel strike Biden advises against hitting nuclear sites; UN chief barred from entering Israel Agencies ISRAEL is reportedly gearing up to launch a blistering counter-attack to cripple Iran, which fired over 180 ballistic missiles on Tuesday in a major escalation of tensions in West Asia. According to reports in Israeli media, Iran’s strategic infrastructure, especially oil rigs, will be targeted. Also on the table are direct attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, news reports said citing Israeli officials. The development further complicates Israel’s multi-front war as the country is advancing its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon while still mounting attacks in Gaza to keep Hamas militants down. On Wednesday, Israel said it lost eight soldiers in southern Lebanon during a ground offensive against Hezbollah. In Gaza, Israeli ground and air operations reportedly killed over 50 people. Besides, Israel’s foreign minister said he would bar UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres’s entry into his country because of bias. Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a crucial meeting with security chiefs at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office said. The meeting, held hours before the Rosh Hashanah holiday to mark the Jewish New Year, is learnt to have discussed and decided Israel’s response to Iran’s attack. Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett also called for a strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and energy fa- People climb on the debris of an Iranian missile intercepted by Israel, near Arad, southern Israel | AP cilities. “We have the justification. We have the tools,” he wrote on X. US news site Axios reported that Israel has plans to take out Iran’s air Avoid all non-essential travel to Iran: MEA In the wake of the escalating tensions, India on Wednesday advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran. The Ministry of External Affairs also urged the Indian nationals presently residing in Iran to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran Iran missile attack Telugu natives in Israel recount their nightmares A j ay T o m a r @ Hyderabad A wave of fear swept through Israel when 180 ballistic missiles were launched by Iran. For the Teluguspeaking community nearly 800 resi, dents from Telangana and 4,000 from Andhra Pradesh, the situation escalated as they experienced a terrifying night. Recounting his terrifying experience to TNIE, B Mahesh Goud, former president of the Israel Telangana Association (ITA), said the people had to rush to the underground safety shelters/bunkers multiple times. “I was relaxing after finishing my work when sirens started blaring around 8 pm. Many missiles struck nearby, with one hitting a shopping complex just half a kilometre from my safety bunker,” Goud said. He noted that the night was more serious from the previous emergencies he had faced during his long residency in Israel. “Normally we rush to , bunkers and come out within minutes when the situation normalises. But this time, we were compelled to seek shelter at least three times, with missiles every 10 minutes. It was a powerful attack.” ‘It’s 1st time that missiles struck directly in city’ Soma Ravi, president of ITA, described the atmosphere on Tuesday night as tense as it was the first time that missiles struck directly within the city. “Israeli security forces sent mobile alerts, and sirens blared, warning residents to take cover. Gathering outside has been restricted,” he said According to Soma Ravi, president of ITA, nearly 5,000 people from the Telugu States are said to be residing in Israel, with majority hailing from Nizamabad and Jagtial districts. Most work as professional caregivers, earning between `5,000 and `6,000 shekels (around `1 lakh to `1.35 lakh) per month. They reside in Ramat Gan and various neighbourhoods around Tel Aviv, with a smaller group in Ashkelon, approximately 60 km away . Ravi described the atmosphere on Tuesday night as tense as it was the first time that missiles struck directly within the city. “Israeli security forces sent mobile alerts, and sirens blared, warning residents to take cover,” the presiP4 dent of ITA explained.  defence systems and also set off targeted assassinations. An attack on Iranian oil facilities could push back the country’s economy by years, while destroying the air defence systems would make it more vulnerable. Political assassinations, if carried out, might set the stage for a regime change in Iran. If Iran’s nuclear facilities are hit, experts fear it will push the conflict to a no-return point. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden said he will not support an Israeli attack on sites related to Tehran’s nuclear programme. ‘The answer is no,” he said on Wednesday, when asked about his opinion. over-the-counter sale ban coming on morning-after pill monal contraceptives available OTC include the Combined Oral The Central Drugs Standard Con- Contraceptive (containing estrotrol Organisation (CDSCO) is like- gen and progestin, it is taken daily to recommend a ban on the ly) and the Progestin Only Pill over-the-counter (OTC) sale of all (also taken daily). hormonal contraceptive drugs, inInterestingly, the six-member cluding oral emergency contra- expert sub-committee was formed ceptive pills (ECP). after the Tamil Nadu government An exper t sub-committee proposed a ban on the OTC sale of formed by CDSCO is all set to rec- hormonal contraceptives citing ommend that the Drugs and Cos- “its irrational usage” at the 62nd metic Rules of 1945 be suitably Drugs Consultative Committee amended to make them prescrip- meeting held in September 2023. tion-only drugs. This newspaper The sub-committee’s mandate was has learnt that the panel will soon to study the issue and make a recsubmit a report. ommendation on At present, unwhether such a press der the National ban is needed. Dr Reproductive and clusive Pinkee Saxena, Child Health Proprofessor, Departg ramme, the ment of ObstetDrug Controller General of India rics and Gynaecolog y, Lady (DGCI) allows the sale of 0.75 mg Hardinge Medical College, is the tablets of Levonorgestrel without chair of the sub-committee. Its prescription as an emergency con- other members include M N Sridtraceptive. ECPs, better known as har, Joint Director of Drugs Conthe morning-after pill, were intro- trol cum Controlling Authority duced in India in 2002 and can pre- (in-charge), and a representative vent a pregnancy if taken within from the Indian Council of Medi72 hours of unprotected sex. cal Research (ICMR). Experts say the availability of A highly-placed source privy to the drug OTC help prevent un- the deliberations said the panel it wanted pregnancies and avert is overwhelmingly in favour of abortions. However, in Tamil making prescriptions from a phyNadu, and other parts of India, sician mandatory for the purchase ECPs are notoriously difficult to of contraceptives, including ECPs. Continued on: P5 access at pharmacies. Other hor-  S i n d u j a Jan e @ Chennai `5,600 crore worth drugs seized in Delhi’s biggest haul UJW A L J A L A LI @ New Delhi The Special Cell of the Delhi Police busted an international drug cartel and seized contraband worth `5,620 crore in what is billed as the biggest haul in the national capital. While the kingpin of the cartel is said to be in Dubai, the police have arrested four local players — Tushar Goyal, Himanshu Kumar, Aurangzeb Siddiqui and Bharat Jain. Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said the Intelligence Agency of the Central government received information that a cartel based in Delhi is smuggling cocaine from abroad. On October 1, the Special Cell received specific information about the arrival of a large consignment of drugs at a warehouse belonging to Goyal at Mahipalpur in Delhi. A Special Cell team raided the warehouse during which 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana were seized. Tushar is the main receiver and distributor of the drugs, the police said. Kumar and Siddiqui are his associates. The accused told the police that the seized marijuana is from Phuket in Thailand while cocaine originated in South American and West Asian countries. Brahmotsavam glow The brightly illuminated Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala for the annual Brahmotsavams, which will be held from October 4 to 12 | Express express read Pawan Kalyan concludes ‘Prayaschitta Deeksha’ Tirumala: Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan concluded his 11-day ‘Prayaschitta Deeksha’ and offered special prayers to Lord Venkateswara during his visit to Tirumala on Wednesday. He had darshan along with his daughters Aadya Konidela and Polena Anjana Konidela. Adhering to the traditions and regulations, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s younger daughter Polena Anjana completed her declaration formalities. He also signed the form as her daughter is a minor | P4 87,167 acres of temple land encroached, plan to resume it Endowments property 4,02,899 acres Agricultural land 98,811 acres 4,623 acres 4,041 acres Wet land Orchards Fish tanks 2,95,425 acres Dry land K V Sa i l e n d r a @ Rajamahendravaram As many as 87,167 acres of land of the total 4.67 lakh acres of the Endowments Department is currently under encroachment in the State. A plan of action is being evolved to resume the encroached land, said Endowments Commissioner S Satyanarayana. Speaking to TNIE, the Commissioner said a report on the endowments property was submitted to the State government to initiate concrete measures to protect the temple lands and other properties from encroachment and any misuse in the future. Additionally, the department has got 50,949 acres of uncultivable land located in hilly and forest areas, which needs to be protected. Though the government has acquired 8,196.63 acres of temple land for various development projects, the compensation has not been paid fully he , said. As per the report, the department is getting `210.79 crore revenue per annum through lease of temple properties, including 2,563 shops, 1,513 buildings and 1,336 Kalyana Mandapams. The temples have got fixed de- posits of `1,529.32 crore, in addition to `571.41 crore in the Annadanam Trust, and `87.94 crore in the Gosamrakshana Trust. Additionally , the temples have possessed 846 kg of gold under the Gold Bond Scheme, 881 kg of other gold jewellery and 44,193 kg of , silver ornaments, he said. As part of the efforts to improve pilgrim amenities, a master plan for the development major temples such as Simhachalam, Kanipakam, Annavaram, Dwaraka Tirumala, Penugranchipolu and Srikalahasti has been evolved, he added. Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu takes part in the Swachhta Hi Seva programme in Machilipatnam on Wednesday | Express CM abolishes garbage tax, next Cabinet meet to ratify it E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Vijayawada Giving a call to every citizen to become a Swachh Sevak to make the State Swachh Andhra Pradesh by 2029, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday announced the abolition of garbage tax introduced by the previous YSRC regime. “I ask my officials not to collect garbage tax, and the decision will be ratified in the ensuing Cabinet meeting,” Naidu said, while addressing a gathering at the Swachhta Hi Seva programme organised in Machilipatnam on Wednesday to mark Gandhi Jayanti. He asserted that Bandar (Machilpantam) Port will be completed by December 2025 to revive the past glory of the Port Town. After having tea with a group of sanitation workers, Naidu, along with school students, swept the roads. He said everyone should respect sanitation workers as they are the real Swachh Sevaks, and no one should talk ill of them. “We are now feeling so healthy and moving on neat roads only because of the hard work of sanitation workers. I wholeheartedly appreciate their efforts,” he said. Recalling the non-violence movement of Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle, he said Gandhian ideals stand as an inspiration for the future generations. He hailed Pingali Venkaiah, the son of the soil and designer of the national flag, who handed over the flag design to Mahatma Gandhi in 1921. “The role of Machilipatnam in the freedom movement can never be overlooked or ignored,” P4 he averred.  Rumble in Punjab as core team of CM disintegrates H a r p r e e t B a j w a @ Chandigarh Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s trusted core appears to be disintegrating. But the big question is the CM slowly losing his utility for the Aam Aadmi Party? Take Navneet Wadhwa, director of communications at the Chief Minister’s Office. He put in his papers after he was told that his contract will not be renewed. A few days ago, Onkar Singh, Officer on Special Duty to the CM, quit. Singh was considered close to Mann and was in-charge of his Dhuri constituency His exit came as a surprise . as he was also handling the political programmes of Mann’s spouse Dr Gurpreet Kaur. The axe is expected to fall on one more important official, say sources. Besides, five new faces were inducted into the Mann ministry recently while four ministers were dropped, two of whom — Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Anmol Gagan Mann — were considered close to the CM. When Mann recently fell down at the Chandigarh airport after deboarding from a chartered plane, the Opposition Congress and the Shiro- ‘Delhi takes call in all major political parties’ A few days ago, Tarsem Singh, father of Khadoor Sahib MP and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh announced his plan to float a political party. He said, “There is no regional party to look after the interests of Punjab. All decisions of major political parties are taken in Delhi. Hence, the decision to form new party.” mani Akali Dal (SAD) took another shot at his failure to stay sober during work hours. But the AAP leadership chose not to defend him. Mann was later admitted to Fortis Hopsital in Mohali where he was dignosed with leptospirosis. Among those who called on him at the hospital were Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Congress MLA Pargat Singh. In May, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had predicted an AAP split in the state, which could have been a shot in the dark. But clouds of uncertainty persist in the political landscape of Punjab though the Southwest monsoon has withdrawn.