SAMBALPUR  THURSDAY  MARCH 27, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION INDIA, CHINA STATE ACTORS ENABLING DRUG TRAFFICKERS, SAYS US REPORT The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community report has been published by the office of Director of National Intelligence ‘DIRECTLY THREATENING LIVES OF US CITIZENS’ FENTANYL PRECURSOR CHEMICALS Terrorist and transnational criminal outfits are directly threatening the US citizens, according to the report. “Cartels are largely responsible for more than 52,000 US deaths from synthetic opioids in the 12 months ending in October 2024 and helped facilitate nearly 3 million illegal migrant arrivals in 2024, straining resources and putting US. communities at risk.” ■ Non-state groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly by China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers, the report claims ■ Says India, China among primary source nations for fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment 52,000 OPIOID DEATHS WERE CAUSED BY CARTELS, ALSO BEHIND ILLEGAL MIGRATION 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 Major reorganisation and redeployment of troops New division to boost strategic deterrence in sensitive region NEW ARMY DIVISION TO DEFEND EASTERN LADAKH ALONG LAC M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi THE Indian Army is in the process of raising a divisionlevel formation to be permanently positioned in the sensitive Easter n Ladakh area, sources told this newspaper. This will be in addition to the 3 Division, which is responsible for the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC). Terming it a major re-ORBAT move, sources said the new formation will be called 72 Division. ORBAT means ‘order of battle’ and Re-ORBAT means reorganising and redeployment of existing troops. In the Army a division com, prises 10,000-15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements, commanded by a Major General, and made up of 3 to 4 brigades. A brigade has a troop size of 3,500-4,000 with a brigadier as commander. A major general commands a division. “The headquarters are being raised; one Brigade headquarter is already deployed in Eastern Ladakh and has begun functioning,” sources said. The larger elements of the formation are being trained in the western parts of the country “to synchronise the personnel, equipment and organisation as per specific tasking,” sources added. The 72 Division will be permanently placed under the Leh-based 14 Fire & Fury Corps, which was raised in September 1999 after the Kargil war. The Corps handles some of the most sensitive frontiers and battlefields in the world. The area that will be under the 72 Division is currently being taken care of by the counter insurgency wing called ‘Uniform Force’. Its elements, in lesser numbers, were moved as an ad-hoc arrangement to fill the gap. The Uniform Force will soon move back to its old location in Reasi, Jammu CLARIFICATION It is hereby clarified that the news items published with the captions ‘BDA bleeds for Taradatt, shuts doors to others’, ‘Post Expose, BDA Switches to Silent Mode’ and ‘Falsehood Demolished’ published on 01.05.2015, 03.05.2015 and 21.05.2015 respectively were completely about the action taken by the BDA and it was never intended to cause any damage, whatsoever to Mr. Taradatt. However, Mr. Taradatt had filed a defamation case against the Editor and others of The New Indian Express, further proceeding of which stood stayed by the Hon’ble Orissa High Court. After hearing both parties, the Hon’ble High court referred the matter for mediation as it had crossed about ten years. By intervention of the Mediator Shri Prashanta Kumar Das, both parties have come to an amicable settlement subject to publication of this clarification. To give quietus to the matter, The New Indian Express expresses its regret, if the said news items had hurt the sentiments of Mr. Taradatt in any manner. 72 DIVISION TO GUARD LADAKH The new division is in process of getting raised. The headquarters are being raised with one of its brigade headquarters already deployed in Eastern Ladakh and has begun functioning Sources The new permanent Army division being raised in Eastern Ladakh under the Northern Command is called 72 Division. This is in addition to the 3 Division, responsible for entire LAC UNIFORM FORCE TO MOVE BACK In an ad-hoc decision, Jammu Division-based counter terrorism unit Uniform Force was moved to the Line of Actual Control. It will now go back to Jammu Division. The Army’s decision to raise a permanent division in East Ladakh is important as the situation along the LAC remains sensitive, which calls for constant vigil and strategic preparedness. A standoff took place between Chinese and Indian troops in May 2020, followed by a deadly clash in June. After several rounds of talks, Indian and Chinese troops completed their disengagement in the Depsang and Demchok areas of Ladakh in October last year, following which regular patrolling resumed. However, the troops from both sides remain in the vicinity of the LAC. Day after suspension, Cong MLAs clash with cops Security staff, marshals of Assly assaulted by MLAs, says Padhy EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar DAY after the Speaker Surama Padhy suspended 12 Congress MLAs from the Assembly, the party legislators and workers clashed with police on Wednesday as they were denied entry to the premises. The scuffle took place at the entrance gate when the Congress MLAs and their followers tried to barge into the Assembly. However, the security personnel managed to stop them and all the 12 suspended MLAs along with Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka were taken into custody . A peculiar situation also developed near the gate when the BJD MLAs joined them. The legislators of the regional outfit wanted to go out of the premises to pay tributes at the statue of BR Ambedkar in AG square during the same time as their Congress counterparts were trying to force their entry The . BJD MLAs entered into a scuffle with the policemen too but finally managed to go out after intervention of senior leaders like Ranendra Pratap Swain and Arun Kumar Sahoo. Earlier on Tuesday night, the Congress MLAs, who had been squatting in the well of the House even after their suspension, were forcibly evicted. At around 2.15 am in the night, @ Bhubaneswar CLP leader Rama Chandra Kadam taken into custody while protesting at Assembly gate against the suspension of party MLAs, on Wednesday | DEBADATTA MALLICK more than 150 security personnel entered the well and removed the MLAs, and dropped them near Congress Bhawan. The MLAs also had a scuffle with the security personnel in the well while they were being removed. The legislators then sat on a dharna on the road in front of the Assembly and many of them also slept there. Leader of the Congress legislature party (CLP) Ram Chandra Kadam alleged, “The security personnel behaved with us as if we were terrorists or Naxalites. They misbehaved with me and my colleagues while removing us.” Kadam said that after eviction from the House, they sat on Allahabad HC remark on rape stayed by SC S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Allahabad High Court’s recent observations on the grabbing of a minor girl’s breasts and pulling the drawstrings of her “pyjama” not amounting to an attempt to rape and said it reflected total “insensitivity” and “inhuman approach”. Taking strong exception to the HC’s observations, the court termed it a “very serious matter”. The court took suo motu cognisance of the matter after “We the Women of India” collective wrote to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Accused Pawan and Akash allegedly grabbed the breasts of an 11-year-old girl in the Kasganj district of UP Thereafter, one of them broke the . string of her pyjama while trying to pull it down, attempted to drag her beneath a culvert and allegedly tried to rape her. But due to the intervention of passers-by they couldn’t proceed. , “It is a very serious matter,” Justice Gavai said, “exhibiting total insensitiveness on the part of the judge.” Not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha, alleges Rahul As Rahul stood up to respond, Birla adjourned the House. LEADER of Opposition in Lok SabSpeaking to reporters later, Rahul ha, Rahul Gandhi, on said, “There is a convention Wednesday claimed he was that the Leader of the Opnot allowed to speak in Parposition is allowed to speak. liament after Speaker Om I requested him to let me Birla made “unsubstantispeak, but the Speaker just I haven’t done ated” remarks about him. ran away This is no way to . anything. I was run the House. He made unHe also accused the Speaksitting quietly. er of running the House in substantiated remarks an “undemocratic For the last 7-8 about me, did not allow me manner.” days, I have not to reply, and adjourned the Rahul’s remarks came afbeen allowed to House without reason.” ter Birla asked him to folWhen asked about Birla’s speak. There is low parliamentary rules remarks, Rahul said, “... no place for the The Prime Minister spoke and maintain the dignity of Opposition the House. about Kumbh Mela. I also During Zero Hour, Birla wanted to speak about unRahul Gandhi noted that members had reemployment, but I wasn’t Leader of Opposition peatedly violated procedurallowed to. I don’t know al rules. “In this House, fawhat the Speaker’s thinkther and daughter, mother ing is. I am the LoP and our par, and daughter, husband and ty is the main Opposition party . wife have been members. In We are not allowed to speak.” this context, I expect the Later, 70 Congress MPs, inLeader of the Opposition to cluding Deputy Leader Gauconduct himself in accordrav Gogoi and Congress Genance with Rule 349 that eral Secretary KC Venugopal, deals with rules to be obmet Birla to protest against served by members in the the denial of an opportuHouse,” the Speaker nity for Rahul to said. speak. P R E E T H A N A I R @ New Delhi she said. The Speaker said following the attack, around 2 am the marSPEAKER Surama Padhy ac- shals and security personnel cused the suspended Congress were asked to remove the MLAs MLAs of assaulting and injur- from the well of the House. Some ing the marshals and security were lifted and taken outside the personnel which led to entrance of the lobby their eviction from the while some others left well of the House. on their own, she Making a statement stated. in the Assembly, Padhy The Speaker said that said that she had asked the MLAs were susthe Assembly secretarpended after they disiat to take steps for the rupted the proceedings security of the Confor several days despite gress MLAs after she repeated requests from came to know about the chair. “Blowing of They came to the their intention to whistle, beating of spend the night in the verandah at around 9 gongs and cymbals and House. All arrange- pm on Tuesday night other disruptions are and attacked the ments had been made not expected from marshals and security accordingly . MLAs,” she said. personnel. Several She said along with Padhy said all efforts security staff have the Congress MLAs, were made to restore been injured their personal security normalcy in the House. Surama Padhy, officers and political All-par ty meetings Speaker workers had also enwere held on March 10, tered the well. They March 13, March 24 and came to the verandah of the As- March 25. But despite the initiasembly secretariat at around 9 tives taken by the chair, the pm on Tuesday night and at- MLAs continued to disrupt the tacked the marshals and secu- House which is very unforturity personnel. Several security nate. Around 39 hours of the onstaff have been injured in the going sitting have been wasted, attack and being treated now, she stated. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE a dharna and some of them slept on the road till morning. They regrouped and started their march towards the Assembly at 10 am. “We wanted to stage a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in protest, but were denied entry and taken into custody,” Kadam said. Bahinipati alleged that he was manhandled by police while they were removed from the well. He said somebody snatched away his gold chain from around his neck during the scuffle. Congress MP from Koraput Saptagiri Ulaka was arrested from in front of the Assembly when he wanted to enter the CONTINUED ON P5 premises.