SAMBALPUR  MONDAY  JUNE 02, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  CITY EDITION UKRAINE HITS RUSSIAN BOMBERS AHEAD OF TRUCE TALKS IN ISTANBUL A Ukrainian drone attack destroyed over 40 Russian planes on Sunday—a day before the two sides were to meet for talks in Istanbul TOP UKRAINIAN COMMANDER PUTS IN PAPERS TWO RUSSIAN AIR BASES BEAR THE BRUNT The spectacular claim that Ukraine damaged $2 billion worth of Russian aircraft parked at airbases thousands of kilometres away came as Kyiv announced that a Russian counter-military strike killed at least 12 of its soldiers at an army training site, leading to the resignation of its ground forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty, who owed ‘responsibility’ for the hit ■ ■ Russia’s defence ministry in a statement confirmed the attacks from Ukraine. The FPV drones damaged aircraft and sparked fires on air bases in Irkutsk as well as Russia’s northern Murmansk Ukraine’s top army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russia attacked Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman in Donetsk as well as Sumy | P9 472 DRONES LAUNCHED BY RUSSIA ON SUNDAY IN ITS COUNTER OFFENSIVE 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 GST collections stay above K2 lakh cr in May Gross GST revenue up 16.4%; robust mop-up for 2nd month in a row; double-digit growth in several large states D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi IF May GST collection—tax collected for April transactions— are anything to go by, India’s economy started the financial year with a bang despite the disruptions caused by US president Donald Trump’s threat of reciprocal tariffs. Gross monthly GST collections in May rose by 16.5% to touch `2.01 lakh crore—only the third time since the indirect tax regime came into force in July 2017. Gross domestic revenue rose by 14% to `1.5 lakh crore, while revenue from imports increased by 25% to `51,000 crore. Net GST revenues (after de- CON ACT 5 held for duping people with plain paper in exchange for currency notes The arrested gang members A S I S H M E H TA @ Bhubaneswar IN a slick con act, a gang allegedly impersonating as mines owners duped several unsuspecting citizens of the capital city to the tune of lakhs by promising to double their investments but eventually providing them paper bundles stashed between genuine currency notes. Fiver persons, including a woman, have been arrested in this connection. Police investigation revealed, the woman accused Mamata Samal (40) of Angul impersonated as a mines owner and her associates - Anil Kumar Mistri (37) of Biramitrapur, Dilip Singh (48) of Nischintakoili, Batakrushna Pradhan (55) of Cuttack and Chitaranjan Das (40) of Khalari acted as her staff. They targeted gullible citizens by befriending them at railway stations, hospitals, parks, markets and other crowded places. Posing as mines owner and staff, they claimed to possess huge amount of black money to the tune of `300 crore in `100 denomination currency notes, which they wanted to dispose of in return for lesser amounts to evade taxes. Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said the gang lured the victims by promising them huge money in `100 denomination notes in exchange of half of the amount in `500 denomination notes. In some instances, the accused even gave away a few `100 denomination notes in return for lesser amounts to gain the confidence of their targets. Initially, the four men established contacts with the victims and later introduced Samal to them as the mines CONTINUED ON P5 owner. DELAYED START FOR QUALIFIER 2 BETWEEN MI & PBKS The all-important contest began at 9:45PM with no overs lost in Ahmedabad. Earlier, Punjab Kings had won the toss and invited five-time champions Mumbai Indians to bat | P11 ducting refunds from gross collections) showed even better buoyancy as the same increased by 20.4% to `1.74 lakh crore. Total refunds contracted by 4% year-on-year. This is the second month in a row when gross collections witnessed double-digit growth. In April, gross GST collections hit an all-time high of `2.36 lakh crore in April 2025, 12.6% higher than the collection of `2.10 lakh crore in April 2024. This augurs well for the country as FY25 showed GST revenue collections growth slowing down to single digit numbers. “A 16% growth in GST collections in the month shows a renewed upward momentum af- GROSS GST REVENUE Import gains May ’24 May ’25 GST revenue CGST 32,409 35,434 from inward shipments SGST 40,265 43,902 grew 25%, IGST 87,781 1,08,836 showing CESS 12,284 12,879 imports shot up despite Total 1,72,739 2,01,050 tariff (Figures in ` crore) headwinds ter a few months of growth in the range of 11 to 12%. If the growth continues in this range for next couple of months, it might provide the cushion for the Government to look at rate rationalisation on which a lot of work has already been done,” says Pratik Jain, partner, Price Waterhouse & Co LLP . Meanwhile, M S Mani, partner, Deloitte India, says a 25% higher GST revenue from imports indicates that imports have accelerated despite recent tariff headwinds. Several large states, including those in the South, have seen high double-digit growth. Collections from Maharashtra rose by 17%, Karnataka by 20%, Tamil Nadu by 25% and Kerala by 24%. Bihar (23%) and Delhi (58%) and West Bengal (18%) are few other notable good performers during the month. Gujarat (4%), Telangana (6%) and Andhra Pradesh (-2%) were few of the laggards. According to Deloitte’s Mani, the wide variations in GST collections growth across states require a thorough analysis across the sectors that are important in each state. “The average growth across the country does not appear to be uniformly reflected across states, possibly due to sectoral or seasonal factors which require a deeper data-based analysis,” he argues. OMFED milk to be costlier by `2 from June 13 EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar PRICES of the state-run Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (OMFED) milk of all variants are set to be costlier by `2 per litre from June 13 with the state government effecting a retail hike of `4 per litre. The state government will, though, bear 50 per cent of the additional cost through subvention to reduce the burden on the people. The major chunk of the hike will also be passed on to the dairy farmers, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said here on Sunday . The milk price was last increased by OMFED on April 1, 2023. After the latest increase, a packet of 500 ml toned milk will now cost `24, premium or gold milk `27 and chai special milk `26. Making the announcement during celebration of World Milk Day-2025, Majhi said price of milk supplied by dairy farmers affiliated to OMFED, the apex-level dairy cooperative so- CM Mohan Charan Majhi launching new OMFED products, on Sunday | EXPRESS ciety, will be increased by `3 per litre. The milk producers, who have been demanding better support price from the government, will now get `38.05 per litre against the current price of `35.05. The revised milk procurement price will benefit around 2.5 lakh dairy farmers in the state, he said. The chief minister also announced that OMFED-affiliated dairy farmers will get acciden- tal death assistance of `1 lakh. He also launched three new OMFED products. “It is a matter of great joy that OMFED is launching three new products keeping in view the interests of the state’s consumers. These products include Balti dahi (bucket curd), A2 milk and A2 ghee made from the milk of the Binjharpuri cow breed native to Odisha,” Majhi said. Majhi distributed assistance of `71 crore to around three lakh dairy farmers under the Chief Minister’s Kamdhenu Yojana for 2024-25. He also distributed financial assistance of `10.5 crore to animal welfare organisations for the care and maintenance of stray cattle in 77 registered goshalas across the state. He said the CM’s Kamdhenu Yojana provides financial assistance of up to 70 per cent for cattle rearing, dairy development, insurance for cattle, cash incentives for dairy farmers to increase their income along w i t h s u p p o r t fo r fo d d e r cultivation. “Milk production is a major component of our rural economy. In 2023-24, the state produced 26.4 lakh tonne milk and the government is working to double the production in the next five years,” he said. President of Odisha Milk Farmers Association Rabi Behera expressed gratitude to the chief minister for enhancing the support price of milk to the farmers. Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah addresses an organisational meeting of the BJP at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday | PTI Shah raises CAA, Operation Sindoor in Bengal poll pitch RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi SOUNDING the poll bugle in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Mamata Banerjeeled government of opposing Operation Sindoor and the Waqf Amendment Bill to appease the Muslim vote bank. Addressing party leaders and workers in Kolkata, Shah alleged Hindus were being oppressed in the state and forced to flee. The recent riots in Murshidabad were not spontaneous but orchestrated by the state, he claimed, adding that the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress shielded the perpetrators of violence. Shah also alleged that Hindu refugees were getting notices that their names may be removed from the voter list. “There is no need to worry. Simply fill out the CAA applications, and we will ensure that they are granted Indian citizenship,” he said. Raising the Pahalgam terror attack issue, Shah said, “When tourists from Bengal were killed in the attack, Mamata Didi remained silent. But now she is having problems with Operation Sindoor.” Mamata Banerjee had recently accused the Centre of politicising Operation Sindoor for electoral gains. “Operation Sindoor was to punish terrorists. But Didi was pained at the deaths of terrorists and gave a cheap political statement. She made West Bengal a centre for infiltrators, corruption and crimes,” Shah said, adding that the TMC’s days were numbered. Shah said the upcoming elections are not just about Bengal, but about national security, adding: “Didi has left Bengal’s borders open for Bangladeshis. Infiltration is taking place in Bengal with her blessing.” In a counter to Shah’s charges, the TMC said stopping infiltration is the responsibility of the BSF, not state government. “It is the sole responsibility of the BSF to stop cross-border infiltration. The TMC is not responsible for guarding the borders; that is the job of the BSF, which operates under the Union Home Ministry If there are . any issues, those should be resolved by the Centre, not blamed on the state,” said , TMC leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya. Hasina charged with crimes against humanity A G E N C I E S @ Dhaka PERENNIAL MISERY Floodwaters force residents to evacuate along with livestock, seeking safety in Lakhimpur, Assam on Sunday | PTI | P8 FUGITIVE former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina orchestrated a “systematic attack” that amounted to crimes against humanity in her attempt to crush the uprising that toppled her government, Bangladeshi prosecutors said at the opening of her trial on Sunday . Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 after Hasina’s government launched its crackdown, according to the United Nations. Hasina, 77, fled by helicopter to India as the student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule, and she has defied an extradition order to return to Dhaka. Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is prosecuting former senior figures connected to Hasina’s ousted gover nment and her nowbanned party, the Awami League. “Upon scrutinising the evidence, we reached the conclusion that it was a coordinated, widespread and systematic attack,” ICT chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told the court in his opening speech. “The accused unleashed all law enforcement agencies and her armed party members to crush the uprising.” Islam lodged five charges each against Hasina and two other officials that included “abetment, incitement, complicity facilitation, conspiracy , , and failure to prevent mass murder during the July uprising”. Prosecutors say such acts are tantamount to “crimes against humanity”. Hasina, who remains in selfimposed exile in India since August 5, 2023, has rejected the charges as politically motivated. Apart from Hasina, the case includes ex-police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who is on the run. Three days after Hasina’s ouster, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as the nation’s interim leader. Separately on Sunday, the Supreme Court restored the registration of Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party Jamaat, e-Islami, allowing it to take part in elections. WUNDERKIND At 11, Bengaluru’s Charvi making heads turn at Norway Open S W A R O O P S W A M I N AT H A N @ Stavanger INDIA’s chess conveyor belt shows no signs of slowing down. One of the latest to emerge from the seemingly limitless pool is Charvi A, who has already made the likes of Viswanathan Anand sit up and take notice. The 11-year-old, currently in action at the Norway Open event in the city is a , WFM (Woman Fide Master). Already an age-group world champion, what makes the Bengaluru-based Charvi special is the way she’s laser-focused in her chess. Even in a game where obsessives are dime-a-dozen, it’s unheard of for somebody as young as her to set boundaries. For example, she has already told her parents to not reveal the identity of her coach (she has worked with Swayams Mishra and RB Ramesh in the past). Her dedication also lies in her wanting to learn from her mistakes. After every game, she makes it a point to have a debrief with all of her opponents. “It can go on for 30 minutes also,” her mother, Akhila, who left behind her IT job, says. She and her husband Anil Kumar had to rely on YouTube to understand the game and keep Charvi A with her parents pace with their daughter. Her parents were undecided on her daughter pursuing chess but after she won the Under-8 girls World Championship, they were sold on her obvious talents (post that, she also got the highest civilian award given to children for her chess exploits). They were okay pulling her out of school (she only visits to give term exams) apart from customising her training schedule. Apart from chess training, she also goes for swimming and badminton classes in the evening to ensure she gets some physical activity on a daily basis. Charvi has had a mixed Open event but that’s to be expected at this level as the players she faces are either higher rated or have more experience. But it will stand her in good stead going forward.