BHUBANESWAR  MONDAY  FEBRUARY 17, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION EUROPEAN LEADERS TO GATHER IN PARIS TODAY FOR SUMMIT ON UKRAINE EMMANUEL MACRON VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY EUROPE JITTERY AS U.S. WEIGHS DEAL WITH RUSSIA French President Emmanuel Macron will host leaders from key European countries on Monday to discuss the Ukraine war and the continent’s security CALL FOR MAXIMUM PRESSURE ON MOSCOW The summit will focus on the future of European security as the US pursues a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. European leaders fear Donald Trump may agree to Putin’s demands to limit NATO presence in eastern Europe and the US involvement in the continent’s security. Leaders of Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy and Denmark will attend ■ ■ Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed not to respect a truce negotiated by the US and Russia without Ukraine’s input Finland’s president said Europe must rearm Ukraine and put “maximum pressure on Russia” through sanctions and asset freezes in the run-up to negotiations sought by the US $52 bn THE SIZE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION’S MILITARY ASSISTANCE FOR UKRAINE 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 State budget to target faster growth, raise social sector spending B I J AY C H A K I A N D S U D A R S A N M A H A R A N A @ Bhubaneswar THE size of the state budget is likely to touch `3 lakh crore, up from `2.65 lakh crore in 2024-25, when Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presents the annual budget in the Assembly on Monday . With the latest Odisha Economic Survey projecting state’s economy to expand in the range of 8 per cent to 8.5 per cent in the 2025-26 fiscal, the budget is expected to retain its focus on social sector spending while giving a push to services, industry and MSMEs that would generate more e m p l oy m e n t a n d income. Implementation of fl a g s h i p s ch e m e s such as Subhadra for financial empowerment of women and welfare programmes for farmers, poor and backward classes are likely to receive renewed attention in the Odisha Budget 2025-26. The chief minister had announced that the government will place a pro-poor and people’s budget with focus on rural development, infrastructure, health and education. A big hike in the size of the agriculture budget from `33,919 crore in 2024-25 is imminent as the BJP government increased the minimum support price (MSP) on paddy to `3,100 per quintal, adding a dose of input subsidy of `800. Sources said the agriculture budget is likely to touch `50,000 crore mark in 2025-26 in view of the focus of the government on farmers and all-round development of farm sector. Other key components of the budget are likely to be health, education and infrastructure sectors. While provisioning for health sector saw a notable rise, reaching `20,837 crore in 2024-25, with `5,374 crore allocated to Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana, the education budget, increased marginally to `34,323 crore and was still short of the recommended 6 per cent share of the GSDP . A substantial rise in health sector allocation is expected given CM Majhi’s commitment to improve rural health infrastructure while upgrading quality of healthcare services. The provision for education sector will also increase to keep pace with the mandated 6 percent of the GSDP . As per the economic survey Odisha has the , potential to grow at a higher rate on a medium-term basis implying the growth will be sustainable. The state’s growth will be 1.5 per cent or 2 per cent more compared to the national economy in 202526. The report stated that Odisha government is developing a long-ter m development strategy which could further accelerate its growth trajectory It emphasised public ex. penditure management should prioritise allocating a larger share of spending toward development initiatives such as ensuring delivery of essential services in health, education, water, housing, roads and power sectors while building necessary public infrastructure to attract investors. It also pitched for empowering stakeholders in MSME and agriculture to be competitive and contribute to the state’s economic growth. IPL TO BEGIN ON MARCH 22 The latest edition of the Indian Premier League will begin at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the venue of the defending champions. The 74-match, two-month long competition will also conclude at the same venue on May 25. KOLKATA TO FACE BENGALURU IN OPENER The defending champions, as is customary, will kick-start the league with the opener against Bengaluru on March 22. Both sides will have new captains HYDERABAD AND KOLKATA VENUES FOR KNOCKOUTS AND FINALS Hyderabad, 2024’s losing finalists, will host the first qualifier and the eliminator on May 20 and May 21 before the caravan moves to the home of the current champions for the league’s closing stages on May 23 and 25 GROUP 1 GROUP 2 Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants KEY DATES May 20: Qualifier 1 | May 21: Eliminator | May 23: Qualifier 2 | May 25: Final US cancels $21 mn grant meant for voter turnout in India EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi THE newly-created US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by billionaire Elon Musk said it has cancelled the previous administration’s $21 million funding to support efforts to increase voter turnout in India. The funding was part of a larger $486 million allocation to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening. “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled,” it said, giving a list of funding c o m m i t m e n t s t h at s t a n d cancelled. The list also includes $29 million to ‘strengthen political landscape’ in Bangladesh and $20 million for ‘fiscal federalism’ in Nepal. Reacting to the announcement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it is proof of external interference in India’s electoral process. “$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!,” Amit Malviya, BJP’s national spokesperson, said. DOGE was created by President Donald Trump to reduce government spending. Confusion over trains led to stampede Police: 2 trains with identical names on different platforms led to confusion among passengers before the tragedy Measures to ease Kumbh travel Railway ministry said all special trains to Prayagraj will be run only from platform No 16. “So, passengers shall come and go from the Ajmeri Gate side of the New Delhi railway station,” the ministry said Personal belongings of passengers caught in Saturday’s stampede lie scattered on a stairway leading to platforms 14 and 15 | X RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR AND S H E K H A R S I N G H @ New Delhi MISCOMMUNICATION, inefficient crowd control measures, confusion over train names are among the major factors that led to the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, which killed at least 18 people, 14 of them women, and injured another 15 passengers. Over 2,500 passengers booked tickets at New Delhi on Saturday within a span of just one hour, which could also have resulted in overcrowding. “As 2,600 more tickets were booked within an hour at New Delhi, and there was a surge in crowd numbers for Prayagraj, a special train was announced from Platform 12,” the rail ministry said. While the ministry said there was no platform change or cancellation of any special trains, vendors and porters at the railway station claimed an announcement was made about platform change. Following this, they said, passengers waiting at Platform 14 rushed towards Platform 16, resulting in the stampede. The Delhi Police, which conducted the initial probe, said two trains with identical names— both bound for Prayagraj—led to chaos among thousands of Maha Kumbh devotees. According to senior police officers, an Rly forms high-level probe into tragedy Railway ministry has set up an inquiry into the stampede. The probe panel comprises Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, and Nar Singh, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railway announcement for the arrival of the Prayagraj Special at Platfor m 16 created confusion among passengers waiting for the Prayagraj Express at Platform 14. In the rush to board what they assumed was their train, a large section of the crowd ran towards Platform 16, triggering a deadly crush. “There were already four trains scheduled to depart for Prayagraj that night, and three of them were delayed. This caused extreme overcrowding. The announcement further fueled panic, as many passengers believed they had missed their original train and rushed in the wrong direction,” said a senior police officer. The government announced a `10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased, `2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and `1 lakh for those with minor injuries. Despite the stampede, the New Delhi station remained overcrowded on Sunday, with platforms flooded with thousands of passengers trying to board trains to Prayagraj and other destinations. In the wake of the tragedy there was heavy police , presence at the station. The footover-bridge and other connecting areas between Platforms 14 and 15 were manned by RPF officers to ensure safe movement P7 of passengers. ROW OVER HANDCUFFS, TURBAN 3rd aircraft carrying 112 illegal Indians touches down in Amritsar Several deportees aboard the US aircraft who landed on Saturday THE third batch of 112 Indians de- night said they were in shackles durported from the United States ing the journey and that 6 aboard a military aircraft Sikh youths were not allowed landed late on Sunday night to wear turbans. at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Daljit Singh of Kurala KaDass International airport. lan village in Hoshiarpur Among the 112 deportees, said they were handcuffed 31 are from Punjab, 44 from and their legs chained during Haryana, 33 from Gujarat, the journey. “Our legs were two from Uttar Pradesh and chained and hands cuffed one each from Himachal throughout the journey There . Akali Dal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. were three women and three slams Two women from Punjab children on board who were Mann were among the deportees. not cuffed,” Singh said. The Senior After security clearance, shackles were removed before Shiromani immig ration, and backthe aircraft landed in AmritAkali Dal ground checks, efforts were sar., he said. Singh had taken being made to send the depor- leader Bikram the ‘Dunki route’. Sourav Singh tees back to their respective (20), who reached Chandiwala states. Those from Punjab Majithia said in Punjab’s Ferozepur district Bhagwant were being taken to their on Sunday, said, “We were homes in vehicles arranged Mann and his handcuffed and our legs were by the state government. Har- ministers are chained.” concerned yana government had sent Harjit Singh, who hails about two private luxury bus to from Khanowal Ghuman vilPunjab’s transport its residents back lage in Gurdaspur district, image but are said he was kept at a detenhome. This was the second depor- quiet on Sikh tion centre and handcuffed on tation flight after the meeting youths being the flight. deported between Prime Minister Shiromani Gurdwara Parwithout Narendra Modi and US Presibhandak Committee (SGPC) turbans dent Donald Trump in Washmember Gurcharan Singh ington DC last week. condemned the treatment The deportation of Indians is part meted out to Sikh youths, and said it of an ongoing crackdown by US au- would take the matter of sending t h o r i t i e s a g a i n s t i l l e g a l Sikhs without turbans with US immigration. officials. H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh Security beefed up at rly stations Security has been beefed up at key railway stations including Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Lucknow and Mirzapur following the Delhi stampede, officials said Sack the minister: Congress Opposition parties alleged the stampede was due to poor management by the authorities. Targeting the railway minister, the Congress urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack him Unsettling calm at ground zero hours after deadly rush R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi SUNDAY morning brought an eerie calm to New Delhi railway station, where just hours earlier a chaotic stampede had claimed 18 lives and left countless others shaken. Although there was no significant crowd until about 9.30 am on Sunday, the aftermath of the stampede was evident. Toys, infant milk bottles and medicines were among items strewn across the platforms. “It was total confusion,” said a vendor at the station. “When a special train to Prayagraj was announced from platform 16, passengers rushed towards it. That’s when the stampede occurred”, said a coolie. The chaos that resulted between platforms 14 and 15, and on the foot-over bridges left scores of passengers crushed. Scattered slippers, I saw women fall torn bags, and abandoned be- to the ground, longings lay scattered across only to be the staircase, the bridge, and trampled over. platforms 14 and 15 — silent People didn’t even realize they witnesses to the tragedy “I’ve were stepping on . been a vendor here for the others who were last 15 years, but I’ve never still alive seen such a heart-wrenching scene,” said Chetan, a local Dharamji Mandal, Bookstall owner vendor. Mohan, a cleaning staff at the station, described it as “one of the worst” tragedies he had witnessed in the past 10 years. “There were personal belongings everywhere. People had no time to gather their things; they just ran for their lives,” he said, with tears in his eyes. On Sunday a majority of passengers return, ing from Prayagraj alighted at platforms number 14 and 15, which were unusually clean. Some inquired about the casualties, before disappearing into the crowd towards the exit. Reena Devi, 55, from Sarita Vihar, and her husband Dinkar, 59, said they had not encountered problems at the confluence of the rivers in Prayagraj, but did face a lot of difficulty aboard the train to Delhi due to overcrowding. DELHI CM TO BE DECIDED TODAY, OATH-TAKING ON TUESDAY AT RAMLILA GROUND The Bharatiya Janata Party will hold a crucial meeting on Monday at the party headquarters in Delhi led by JP Nadda to choose the next Chief Minister, sources said