vijayawada l Monday l April 07, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Protesters march in U.S. cities against Trump ‘devastation’ Thousands of protesters flooded streets of US cities Sunday to oppose policies of Trump, in the largest demonstration in his new stint lens on ‘outrageous administration’ helplessness in face of trump tirade Opponents of Trump’s policies — from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties — rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado, and Los Angeles, among other locations. “This outrageous administration is causing us to lose our allies across the world,” said Diane Kolifrath, 64, a bike tour guide ■ ■ Trump has angered many Americans by moving aggressively to downsize, unilaterally impose conservative values and pressure even friendly countries over trade, causing stock markets to tank Many Democrats are irate that their party, in minority in the Congress, has seemed so helpless to resist Donald Trump’s moves 1,200 locations in 50 states witnessed protests as part of hands off rally 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 BJP-led govt has allotted TN more funds than UPA regimes, says Modi PM inaugurates new Pamban bridge, claims some have habit of complaining without reason PM launches 2 India-backed rail projects in Sri Lanka JAYA N TH JAC O B @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off a dedicated train service connecting the island to the mainland on Sunday | Express E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ Ramanathapuram The BJP-led central government has provided Tamil Nadu three times the funds allocated by the earlier UPA regimes, of which the DMK was a part, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Rameswaram on Sunday in an indirect attack on the , Dravidian major which is in power in Tamil Nadu. His government’s allocations had boosted Tamil Nadu’s economic and industrial growth, he said. “Yet, some people have a habit of complaining without reason and they keep crying about things. Let them cry he ,” added, during his address at a government event to open the first vertical span sea railway bridge at Pamban and flag off a train service linking the island to the mainland. He also dedicated various completed projects worth `8,300 crore to the nation and laid foundation stone for the four-laning works of a section of NH-40. Chief Minister MK Stalin, who earlier urged the PM to allay TN’s express read NHRC to probe deaths of 7 treated by quack New Delhi: Seven persons have died allegedly after being treated by a fake cardiologist at a missionary hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, prompting the National Human Rights Commission to launch a probe into the matter, officials said on Sunday. Boy mauled to death by stray dog in Guntur Guntur: A 4-year-old boy named Isaac was mauled to death by a stray dog near his house at IDWA Nagar in Guntur on Sunday. He was returning from Sunday School prayers when the dog lunged at him, and bit his neck. The GMC has deployed teams to capture stray dogs in the area | P2 concerns about delimitation, skipped the event although s t at e m i n i s t e r s we re i n attendance. Stating that the centre has prioritised TN’s infrastructure, Modi said the railway budget for the state had increased seven-fold in the past decade, from `900 crore before 2014 to over `6,000 crore now. 3,700 rescued in 10 yrs Touching on the ongoing arrests of TN fishers by the Sri Lankan Navy, Modi said, “Due to efforts of the Indian government, over 3,700 fishermen have been brought back safely from Sri Lanka in the last 10 years.” In tri-lingual speech in Tamil, Hindi and English, the PM invoked Tamil culture, tradition and language. Mocking leaders from Tamil Nadu for writing to him in English, he said, “Sometimes, I am surprised when I receive letters from some leaders of Tamil Nadu —not a sin- gle one signs their name in Tamil. Tamil is a matter of pride, and I urge everyone to at least sign their names in Tamil to honour this glorious language.” Touching on the ongoing arrests of TN fishers by the Sri Lankan Navy, Modi, who was returning from his two-day visit to the island nation, said the centre stands firmly with fishermen in times of crisis. “Due to the efforts of the Indian government, more than 3,700 fishermen have been brought back safely from Sri Lanka in the last 10 years. Of these, over 600 fishermen were freed just in the past year. You may also remember that some of our fishermen were sentenced to death. But we worked tirelessly to bring them back alive and reunite them with their families in Bharat.” Noting that several states have started providing medical education in regional languages, the prime minister urged the state government to introduce medical courses in Tamil.  prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two major India-backed railway projects in the historical city of Anuradhapura in north-central Sri Lanka on Sunday, before wrapping up his three-day trip to the island nation. Accompanied by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Modi of ficially launched the upgraded MahoOmanthai railway track and the newly installed signalling system for the Maho-Anuradhapura segment. Both projects are backed by Indian assistance. These upgrades are expected to enhance connectivity and safety across Sri Lanka’s northern rail network. The projects, executed by IRCON International, are seen as a significant contribution by India to Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development. “These landmark railway modernisation projects implemented under the India-Sri Lanka development partnership represent a significant milestone in strengthening north-south rail connectivity in Sri Lanka,” External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. Earlier in the day, Modi and Dissanayake visited the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple. The temple houses the sacred Bodhi tree, believed to be a sapling brought from India by Sanghamitta Theri, daughter of Emperor Ashoka. CPM picks Kerala veteran Baby as general secretary A N I L S @ Madurai THE 24th Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which concluded in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, on Sunday, elected veteran Kerala leader M A Baby as its sixth general secretary . The 71-year-old’s elevation to the top post was on expected lines, though there was some initial opposition from the West Bengal unit. A former Kerala minister, Baby is the second leader from the state CPM to lead the party , after E M S Namboodiripad. Baby is also the first Christian to lead the party . Speaking to TNIE, Baby said the election was unanimous. “It was West Bengal secretary Mohammed Salim who proposed my name, and it was backed by Dr Ashok Dhawale, whom some of you had projected as the general secretary candidate,” he said. Being chosen to lead the party through trying times, Baby said strengthening the party at places where it is weak and taking on the Sangh Parivar-led BJP are the major tasks before him. The party congress also elected an 85-member Central Committee (CC) with 20% women representation. Adhering to the age cap of 75 years, seven veterans, including Prakash Karat, Manik Sarkar, Brinda Karat, and Subhashini Ali, stepped down. The Karats, Sarkar and Ali along with three other veterans — Biman Basu, S Ramachandran Pillai and Hannan Mollah — were made special invitees to the CC. Jammu & Kashmir leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami and P K Sreemathy from Kerala too were exempted from the age criterion and retained in CC. Among 18 States & UTs, AP stands third in Per Capita Income growth S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh has emerged as one of the top-performing States in the Per Capita Income (PCI) growth. It has secured the third place among 18 States and Union Territories in the PCI growth in 2024-25, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). AP’s PCI reached `2,66,240, driven by an 11.89% growth rate over the previous year at current prices, trailing behind Tamil Nadu (`3,58,027, 13.58%) and Kar nataka (`3,80,906, 12.09%). AP’s PCI growth outpaced several States, including Maharashtra (`3,09,340, 11.00%), Haryana (`3,53,182, 10.59%), and Telangana (`3,79,751, 9.61%). This economic milestone aligns perfectly with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s ambitious Swar na Andhra Vision-2047 as he launched the groundbreaking P4 (Public-Private-People Partnership) initiative on Telugu New Year Day to eradicate poverty . Naidu outlined an optimistic Performing States AP’s milestone aligns perfectly with CM Naidu’s Swarna Andhra Vision-2047 EXPRESS ILLUSTRATION State PCI Growth Tamil Nadu `3,58,027 13.58% Karnataka `3,80,906 12.09% Andhra Pradesh `2,66,240 11.89% Maharashtra `3,09,340 11.00% Haryana `3,53,182 10.59% Telangana `3,79,751 9.61% economic roadmap, projecting the State’s PCI to rise from `2,66,240 in 2024-25 to `2,98,065 in 2025-26, further climbing to `5,42,985 by 2028-29 and reach- CM’s sos to Centre ‘Protect AP aqua sector from US tariff impact’ E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Expressing deep concern over the devastating impact of American President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on Andhra Pradesh’s aquaculture industry Chief , Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sought the immeNaidu warned that this diate intervention of Union tariff, combined with an exMinister for Commerce and isting 5.77% Countervailing Industry Piyush Goyal. Duty (CVD), places Indian In a letter written to the exporters at a significant Union Minister, Naidu high- disadvantage, compared to lighted the crucial role the competitors like Ecuador, aqua sector plays which faces only a in AP’s Gross State 10% duty. T his Domestic Product nearly 20% duty (GSDP), and urged gap is threatening Your timely the Central supIndia’s position in intervention can port to aqua farmthe US market. safeguard the ers facing mountThe fallout is allivelihoods of ing losses. ready evident. lakhs of people The US governShipments predependent on the aqua sector in ment recently impared under earliAndhra Pradesh posed a steep 27% er orders, now duty on marine packed and stored food imports from N Chandrababu Naidu, in cold storages Chief Minister India, ef fective and ports, are subfrom April 5, 2025, ject to the inseverely affecting the coun- creased duties, leaving extry’s shrimp-dominated porters and farmers in a trade. In the financial year financial bind, he explained. 2023-24, India exported ma- In Andhra Pradesh, cold rine food products worth storages are overflowing, $2.55 billion to the US, with and with harvests piling up, shrimp accounting for 92% aqua farmers are struggling of the total volume. to find buyers, he said.  P4 Breaking frontiers In a first, all-women tri-services crew to circumnavigate Indian Ocean m aya n k s i ng h @ New Delhi A remarkable tale of determination and sisterhood is unfolding in the Indian Ocean. In a first for the tri-services, 11 fearless women officers from the armed forces will start sailing around the Indian Ocean beginning Monday . The Samudra Pradakshina expedition kicks off on April 7 from Mumbai’s Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre, and promises to be a testament to women power and in- ter-services camaraderie. The leadup to this moment has been nothing short of Herculean. The team, comprising six Army officers, one Navy officer, and four Air Force officers, underwent rigorous training at the Army Adventure Nodal Centre for Blue Water Sailing, under College of Military Engineering in Pune. With little to no sailing experience, they began from scratch, mastering theoretical and practical aspects of sailing, as well as building the physical strength The Expedition by Numbers Distance to be covered: Over 4,000 nautical miles (approximately 7,400 km) Duration: 55 days, to be flagged off on April 7 at the Naval Training Centre Mumbai and stamina needed for the gruelling demands of the sea. “The selection process spanned over a year and tested physical fitness, endurance, teamwork, leadership qualities, psycho- Crew: 11 women officers from India’s Armed Forces Vessel: IASV Triveni, which will set a world record as the first Tri-Services team to circumnavigate the world logical resilience, and boathandling capabilities,” said a source. The training regimen was exhaustive and thorough, exposing the officers to various class- es of boats and essential sailing skills such as navigation, meteorology, and emergency response. The crew embarked on several training expeditions, gradually increasing in complexity and distance. They started with short day trips, progressing to day and night expeditions covering significant distances. Their training routes included voyages from Mumbai to Karanja, Murud, Goa, Kochi, Porbandar, Lakshadweep and back. Each training expedition pre- sented its own set of challenges, from unpredictable weather to mechanical issues and physical toll of continuous sailing. The mission is not just about breaking geographical milestones but also shattering cultural and gender barriers. The expedition, which will cover over 4,000 nautical miles in about 55 days, will be on board the IASV Triveni. The mission will set a world record as the first tri-services team to circumnavigate an ocean, a senior official said. ing an impressive `55 lakh (approximately $42,000) by 2047. “By 2047, India will lead the world, and Telugu people must spearhead that rise,” Naidu declared, emphasising that the recent PCI growth serves as a stepping stone for this longterm growth vision. The State’s economic performance is underscored by its Gross State Domestic Product ( GS D P ) , wh i ch re c o rd e d `15,93,062 crore at current prices with a 12.02% growth rate — ranking fifth nationally — and `8,65,013 crore at constant prices with an 8.21% growth rate, placing second in the country . Naidu highlighted a significant recovery in the PCI growth, which surged to 12.94% in the past seven months, up from a 9.06% average during 2019-24 under the YSRCP regime. This marks a notable improvement, though it still trails the 13.21% growth achieved during Naidu’s 2014-19 tenure. “This resurgence proves our strategy is working,” the Chief Minister said, stressing the need for a sustained 15% annual growth rate to achieve PCI P4 of `58,14,916 by 2047. Dallewal ends 131-day fast in Punjab, vows to fight on H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh PUNJAB farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday said he was ending his hunger strike which he had started on November 26 last year to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops. Addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) chief said, “You (farmers) have asked me to end the fast. I respect your sentiments and accept your order. I wanted to continue until all 12 demands were met, but as more farmers urged me to mobilise support nationwide, I decided to accept their appeals.” He reaffirmed the fight for a legal guarantee on MSP and said protests could resume if needed. The announcement came a day after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu appealed to him to end his fast-unto-death. Dallewal launched his hunger strike on November 26, 2024 for MSP guarantee, apart from other demands. Detained on March 19, he was hospitalised until April 3. Protests at Shambhu and Khanauri were ended by Punjab Police on March 19. britain to shelter its trade from trump tariffs British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday vowed to “shelter” the UK’s businesses from the storm unleashed in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s flurry of global trade tariffs | P9