The BRS govt left the state bankrupt. Even if I were to be cut into pieces, the revenue of the state govt will not cross `18,500 cr per month. Which scheme should I stop to pay bonuses, allowances and other benefits to employees? hyderabad l tuesday l may 06, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION 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 Russian President accepts Modi’s invitation to visit India for annual high-level meeting Putin calls PM, supports fight against terror Japan on same page Visiting Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani met his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh and offered “full support” to India’s war against terror Par panel seeks info A parliamentary panel sought details from two ministries on the action they planned against social media platforms that “seem to be working against national interest” stop fund, adb urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a strong pitch to ADB to stop giving funds to Pakistan as it backs terror activities — A Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister CM to employees: Where is your responsibility towards the people? M a n da Rav i n d e r R e d dy @ Hyderabad J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi All gates of Salal Dam on the Chenab river in Reasi district, J&K, closed | pti Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday expressed full support to India in its fight against terror, emphasising during a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that those responsible for the heinous attack in Pahalgam —and their supporters— must be brought to justice. The conversation took place ahead of a closed-door United Nations Security Council meeting requested by Pakistan. “He (President Putin) conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “Both sides emphasised the need for an uncompromising fight against terrorism in all its forms,” said the readout from Russia. Highlighting the “strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations as a special and privileged partnership,” President Putin reiterated that the relationship is not “subject to external influence and continues to develop dynamically across all areas.” Modi invited Putin for the annual summit to be held in India later in the year which was accepted by the Russian leader. Pakistan, currently serving as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council, called for the meeting amid rising tensions with India. Greece, which holds the Council presidency for May has scheduled the session for the , afternoon of May 5. The meeting is scheduled to start at 12.30 am IST, Tuesday . hold mock drills, govt tells states RA J E S H K U M AR THA K UR @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a series of high-level meetings with senior government officials after an earlier meeting with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh amid indications that a military response to the Pahalgam massac re i s a ro u n d t h e corner. The government has already weaponised the Indus Waters Treaty by shutting a couple of dams on the Chenab after flushing out their silt. The Union home Ministry issued an advisory to several states asking them to conduct mock drills on May 7 for effective preparedness of the civil defence system. The meeting Modi had with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Govind Mohan and senior military officials is learnt to have focused on the final stages of preparedness against the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack. It went on for over an hour. Earlier in the day, Modi had a 40-minute meeting with the defence secretary. Defence chiefs have already briefed the PM individually and jointly on their preparedness for retaliation against rogue elements fostering terror. The home ministry’s advisory to hold mock drills as part of emergency preparedness, indicates India has firmed up some military action against Pakistan that could be executed after May 7, remarked a source. U.N. urges maximum restraint UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday expressed grave concern about the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, saying that the relationship between the two countries has reached a “boiling point” and that tensions are at their “highest in years”. He warned that “military confrontation can spin out of control”. Coming down heavily on leaders of various employee unions over reports that they have declared a “war” against the government, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday asked them if they had any responsibility towards the people. Hinting that the state government was in no position to meet any undue demands of employees, he stated: “The previous BRS government left the state bankrupt. Even if you cut me into pieces (Nannu Koseenaa Kuda), the revenue of the state government will not cross `18,500 crore per month. I am asking the leaders of the employee unions to explain what they will do to me? Will you cut me, cook and eat? Tell me, which scheme should I stop to pay bonuses, allowances and other benefits?” Addressing the gathering SC panel submits report on cash haul The three-judge panel probing the cash recovery at Justice Yashwant Varma’s Delhi residence on March 14 has submitted its report to the CJI | P7 RTC employees firm on strike call TGSRTC employee unions on Monday made it clear that they would go ahead with their indefinite strike from the stroke of midnight on May 6 even as the state government continued to engage in back-channel talks to find a resolution. A group of RTC employees leaders met Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar during the day, following which the TGRTC JAC said that those who attended the meeting were not from recognised unions | P4 after presenting Police Real Heroes awards at Integrated Command Control Centre here, the chief minister asked the employee unions: “Don’t you have any responsibility towards the people?” Revanth continued: “I have seen news reports that the employees unions have declared war against the gover nment. There are 3.5 lakh government employees, 3 lakh contract and outsourcing employees and 3 lakh pensioners. Employees account for 2.5% to 3% of the population. If you wage a war, will the remaining 98% of people not suffer? Employees should think about this.” The chief minister pointed out that in order to save money he was travelling , in economy class during his foreign tours. He added that no one was coming forward to extend loans to the state. “Bankers are treating the representatives of the state like one treats a thief, if we ask for loans,” Revanth added.  continued on P4 No interim order on Waqf Act, matter transferred to next CJI 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 Monday said that a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act will now be taken up by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India-designate Justice BR Gavai on May 15. During the hearing on Mon- day the court said that the Cen, tre has raised some points on registration of Waqf properties, which would require detailed hearing. “I do not want to reserve any judgment, or even interim order, at this stage. This matter will have to be heard on a reasonably early date and this will not be before me,” said CJI Sanjiv Khanna.