hyderabad l Monday l July 21, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION UIDAI to start biometric update of kids via schools The UIDAI said it is working on a project to start biometric updates of children through schools in a phased manner Project depends on consent of parents will help students avail many benefits According to UIDAI, over 7 crore children have not updated their biometrics for Aadhaar, which is mandatory after attaining the age of 5 years. “The project will be done only after parental consent. We are at present testing the technology and it should be ready in 45-60 days,” PTI quoted UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar as saying ■ ■ Updating biometrics will ensure seamless usage of Aadhaar in availing services such as school admissions, registering for examinations, availing benefits of scholarships, DBT schemes, etc Under the project, the UIDAI will send biometric machines to each district which will be rotated from school to school AADHAAR Can be deactivated if biometrics UPDATE IS NOT DONE BY AGE 7 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 Bihar poll roll revision, Op TG plans forensic audit of land ‘fraud’ Sindoor top House agenda dharani probe stituency of senior BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao. Based on the terms of reference set by the Revenue department, the Kerala Security Audit and Assurance Centre (KSAAC) will carry out the investigation. The sources added that the investigation is likely to start within a fortnight. The decision to start the audit in Sircilla and Siddipet constituencies is being viewed as politically motivated, with ruling party insiders suggesting it could be the beginning of a wider effort to expose alleged financial and administrative misconduct under the previous B K a r t h e e k @ Hyderabad In all-party meet, govt agrees to discuss all issues raised by Oppn 100 MPs sign petition calling for Varma’s impeachment RA J E S H K U MAR THA K U R @ New Delhi From left: Minister of state Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and J P Nadda and MoS L Murugan chair the all-party meet in New Delhi on Sunday | PTI RA J E S H K U MAR THA K U R @ New Delhi AMID persistent demand by the Opposition for debates on multiple pressing issues in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, the BJP-led government on Sunday signalled its willingness to engage in discussions—particularly on the success of Operation Sindoor— provided all opposition party leaders adhere to Parliamentary traditions. The government dropped the hint during an all-party meeting, chaired by Union Minister J P Nadda, a day before the start of the Monsoon session. As many as 54 leaders of different parties and independent MPs attended the meet on Sunday . The Opposition demanded a statement from the PM on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in poll-bound Bihar. There was also a strong call from the Opposition for a clarification from the government on the alleged US mediation during Operation Sindoor resulting in a ceasefire. According to sources, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju affirmed that the govern- ment would respond appropriately when discussions take place on US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire assertions concerning the India-Pakistan conflict. Rijiju told reporters after the meeting: “There should be government-opposition coordination in running Parliament smoothly; not confrontation. The government is open to discussions within rules, conventions.” Many Opposition leaders also demanded a debate on the intelligence failure behind the Pahalgam attack. On these demands, Rijiju said the matters raised at the meeting would be taken up at the Business Advisory Committee of both houses, where a final decision would be taken. After the meeting, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi told reporters that his party sought Prime Minister Modi’s statement on Trump’s claims, “lapses” which led to the Pahalgam attack and SIR in Bihar. “We hope that the PM will fulfil his moral duty he said. ,” CPI(M)’s John Brittas and Supriya Sule of NCP-Sharad Pawar demanded that the PM respond on Pahalgam attack and Bihar’s SIR. P10 taking appears to be no further doubt regarding the move to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma. The Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said over 100 MPs have already signed a notice to bring a motion in Parliament for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma, crossing the threshold of support required for tabling the impeachment exercise in the Lok Sabha. “The signature (exercise) is underway and it has crossed 100 already Rijiju told report,” ers after the all-party meeting, while adding that it is for the Business Advisory Committee, a group of parties which finalises the agenda in their respective House, to decide when the motion will be moved. A motion for the removal of a judge has to be signed by not less than 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha. The motion is likely to be brought in the Lower House. With Parliament’s Monsoon Session beginning from Monday, the government has made it clear that it will bring the motion during this sitting of Parliament and has been receiving support from all parties. Varma, who has been kept off judicial work, has protested his innocence and has moved the Supreme Court against the in-house committee’s findings. Following allegations of large-scale land misappropriation in the Sircilla and Siddipet regions coming to light recently the state government is plan, ning to initiate a pilot project for its proposed ‘forensic audit’ of the alleged irregularities. The violations were allegedly committed by using the Dharani portal, the integrated land revenue records management system, which was rolled out during the BRS regime. Sources privy to the developments said that the pilot project would be completed in two months. According to top sources, the government intends to begin the forensic audit in these two key constituencies, both of which are politically sensitive. They have long been strongholds of the opposition BRS. While Sircilla is represented by BRS working president KT Rama Rao, Siddipet is the con- government led by the BRS. The proposed forensic audit will involve a detailed technical and legal scrutiny of land records, mutations and ownership changes, using advanced tools like satellite imagery, blockchain verification and revenue department crossverification. This is the first time the state is attempting such a high-level investigative mechanism to address land fraud and encroachments. The sources said that similar audits are likely to be carried out across other districts, especially those where suspicious land transactions took place, if the pilot proves successful. Jagan may be quizzed by sit Former AP chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to be summoned for questioning in connection with the alleged liquor scam | P5 express read Govt announces `1 cr for singer Rahul Sipligunj Hyderabad: The state government has announced a cash reward of `1 crore for singer Rahul Sipligunj on the occasion of Bonalu festival. Rahul rose to global fame after the song ‘Naatu Naatu...’ in the film ‘RRR’, sung by him, bagged an Oscar. INSI D E celebration time 114-year-old Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathoner, was cremated with state honours at Beas, near Jalandhar | P8 Women arrive at the Lal Darwaza Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Temple to offer prayers and ‘bonams’ on the occasion of Bonalu in the Old City area of Hyderabad | Sri Loganathan Velmurugan SIT to probe Dharmasthala mass claim Expert panel to assess recurring natural disasters HYDERABAD  MONDAY  JULY 07, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 28  CITY EDITION IN SNUB TO TRUMP, ELON MUSK FORMS NEW POLITICAL PARTY REGISTERING ‘AMERICA PARTY’ THE NEXT STEP ■ 2024 MUSK’S PARTY LIKELY TO BE FISCALLY PRUDENT “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” Musk said in a post on X. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said. To legally form the party would require Musk to register it with the US Federal Election Commission Tech billionaire Musk has formed a new political party “to give Americans their freedom back”, after a fallout with Trump ■ Musk first raised the prospect of forming a party during his public feud with Trump, which saw him leave his role in the administration’s DOGE and engage in a vicious public spat with his former ally The world’s richest man has indicated he wants a party that is fiscally conservative and reins in spending, without more details MUSK WAS THE LARGEST DONOR TO TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 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 ■ V I N C E N T D ’ S O U Z A @ Mangaluru THE Karnakata government has formed a SIT to conduct a comprehensive and impartial probe into a series of alleged crimes, including murders, sexual assaults, and disappearances of women and girls spanning over two decades in the Dharmasthala region. The state government’s decision comes on the heels of a chilling testimony by a former sanitation worker employed by the Dharmasthala temple administration, who told the police he was forced to burn and bury the bodies of hundreds of women, including schoolgirls, between 1998 and 2014. He claimed the victims were raped and murdered before being disposed of in secret. The SIT will be led by Pranav Mohanty, DGP, Internal Security Division. The team includes IPS officers M N Anucheth, Soumya Latha, and Jitendra Kumar Dayama. The SIT will operate out of the Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police’s office and will have access to all district resources. It has also been granted authority to bring in additional personnel and officers as needed. The team is tasked with investigating the FIR registered at Dharmasthala Police Station, but also any related cases of unnatural deaths, sexual assault, murders and disappearances reported or discovered during the course of the investigation across other police stations in Karnataka. The SIT is required to provide regular updates to the Director General and Inspector General of Police, and submit a detailed investigation report to the government at the earliest. Decision after women’s panel push In a post on X, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the decision to set up an SIT follows a request from the Karnataka State Commission for Women, which has taken a serious note of the allegations and demanded an unbiased investigation. The Commission cited both the media reports and the court statement of the sanitation worker as deeply concerning and indicative of possible systemic criminal activity manchester test M U K E S H RA N J A N @ New Delhi ■ Firoz Mirza @manchester It has been drizzling even on Sunday. Though sporadic, it rained too. The pitch in the middle of Old Trafford cricket ground is covered and is expected to be damp. The India team that reached here by train on Saturday evening had a closed-door practice session but indoors. It was gloomy and overcast, ideal conditions for pacers. However, for India, inside the dressing room it is less than ideal even after a fun-time spent at Manchester United’s training centre at Carrington. If the suspense over Jasprit Bumrah’s appearance in the fourth Test was not enough, India suffered a huge blow as Nitich Reddy is likely to be ruled out of the remaining two Tests on Sunday This is after Akash . Deep’s availability came under scanner due to injury Though . the nature of Reddy’s ailment is not known, Akash Deep ap- parently has groin issue. With the fast bowling all-rounder seems unlikely to take the field, India would be worried right now. He lent stability to the lower order and also chipped in with wickets. Reddy claimed three wickets (all at Lord’s) in the t wo Te s t s h e h a s played. Arshdeep Singh, another pacer, has already sustained a cut in his bowling hand in Beckenham a few days ago and is unlikely to make his debut here. They do have Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krish- ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ After Bihar, poll panel now plans revision of rolls in Bengal, Delhi ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ BRICS slams Pahalgam attack, demands urgent UNSC reforms EC says Bihar TAKING note of the frequent, draft list would contain names of voters whose enumeration forms were received high-intensity natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh, the Centre will form a team of experts from various disciplines to assess the situation in the hill state and suggest measures to deal with cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, and torrential rainfall. Confirming the development, CM to visit Delhi today to seek urea supply officials said on Sunday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the formation of a multi-sectoral central Cloudburst aftermath at Thunag of Seraj valley, in Mandi on Wednesday | ANI FLOODS TEXAS OFFICIALS’ RESPONSE UNDER SCRUTINY team to visit Himachal Pradesh, which witnessed nearly 120 floods, 22 cloudbursts, and 19 service, and 58 water supply deaths and widespread damage landslides. Estimates put the schemes affected. MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S to infrastructure, houses, and financial loss to the UK team arrives to fix stranded F-35Bwill comThe central team fighter jet DREAM AT EDGBASTON state at crops in the ongoing monsoon over `1,200 crore. According to prise experts from the National season. the State Emergency Operation Disaster Management AuthorIn the past month alone, the Centre, 146 roads are blocked, ity (NDMA), Central Building state has witnessed 33 flash 28 power transformers out of Research Institute (CBRI) RoorMUKESH RANJAN & ASHISH S R I V A S TA V A & R A M A S H A N K A R @ New Delhi/Patna NOTWITHSTANDING the raging controversy around the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is now preparing to launch and initiate a similar exercise in West Bengal and New Delhi sometime in August this year, sources in the poll panel told this newspaper on Sunday . The last time the ECI verified electoral rolls in West Bengal and New Delhi was in 2002 and 2008, respectively. “As the assembly elections will be due in West Bengal after Bihar, we are preparing for the exercise in advance,” a source said. For New Delhi, the Chief Electoral Officer has notified the cut-off date for the revision MAHUA, RJD MOVE SUPREME COURT Trinamool Congress leader and Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra has moved the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Election Commission of India for special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. “ECI has introduced it to deprive bonafide young electorate of Bihar. Later, they will target Bengal,” Moitra told a news agency. In her plea, Moitra sought a direction to restrain ECI from issuing similar orders in other states of the country. The RJD and an NGO have also moved the top court as March 16, 2008. This means that all voter names added to the rolls after this date will now be subject to verification. Individuals falling in this category will be required to furnish documentary proof of citizenship to retain their names on the electoral list. The ECI said the revision exercise in Bihar has been going on smoothly and the initial phase of it has been completed. In an official statement, the ECI said, “It is reiterated that SIR is being conducted in Bihar as per instructions issued on June 24 and there is no change in the instructions. The draft electoral rolls that will be issued on August 1, 2025 will contain the names of persons whose enumeration forms are received.” It said electors can submit any one of the 11 specified documents anytime before July 25, 2024. “After publication of Draft Electoral Rolls, if any document is deficient, EROs can obtain such documents, from the electors whose name appears in the draft Electoral Roll, during scrutiny in the claims and objection period,” it noted. “The new directive has provided a great relief to people, as they have been given a relaxation of nearly 45 days to submit required documents,” said a senior official posted at the Bihar CEO office in Patna. Highlighting the need for the SIR in the country Chief Elec, tion Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar told this newspaper that during the past four months, “all 4,123 EROs, all 775 DEOs and all 6 CEOs have held nearly 5,000 meetings with 28,000 political party representatives”. “ECI has invited all recognised political parties for interaction. No one was satisfied with the current status of electoral rolls for one reason or the other.” The deadline for submission of forms is July 26. EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad Indian players celebrate the wicket of Jamie Smith along with Akash Deep in Edgbaston on Sunday | AFP EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai FIVE days ago when India captain Shubman Gill was probed by Michael Atherton during the toss on the Playing XI (then) that looked defensive on paper, an Indian win seemed to be still in the realm of a beautiful dream. In the real world, however, even before a ball was bowled in the second Test, the balance was tilted in favour of hosts England. They successfully chased a record total in the first. India had decided to rest ever-dependable Jasprit Bumrah despite a nine-day gap between the two games. The captain Gill is just one Test old. On top of that India decided to go ahead with all-rounders rather than bolster their Injury dampener for India; Reddy, Akash latest concern TNIE in England ■ bowling. Things looked even more grim when India were 211/5 and were staring at another likely collapse after tea on Day One. Well, that was the last moment India seemed lost. But the one-Test old captain batted, batted and batted, and in the company of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, broke one record after another on his way to a marathon 269. India stopped at 587. The total seemed to have done the trick. If the first innings seemed an ab e r r at i o n , t h e s e c o n d seemed like highlights with fours and sixes peppered around the ground. Morally, England were crushed on the fourth day . Inspired by the captain’s innings, Akash Deep and Mo- hammed Siraj did what India bowlers struggled in the first Test – take 20 wickets in the two innings. ‘No Bumrah, no problem’. The duo shared all ten wickets between them as India gained a 180-run lead and Gill decided to make sure the target was beyond the hosts with another strokeful hundred (161). It was only a matter of time before India levelled the series with ease, thanks to Akash Deep’s 6/99 in the second innings. For the record, this is the biggest margin (336 runs) of win for India away from home and this is their first win at Edgbaston. In sports, dreams do turn into reality. Over to L o r d ’s w i t h h o p e a n d hoopla. CHIEF Minister A Revanth Reddy is set to visit Delhi on Monday to meet Union ministers over various issues concerning the state. He is also likely to meet AICC leaders. Sources said that as the farmers in the state are suffering due to shortage of urea, the chief minister is likely to meet Union Chemical and Fertilisers Minister JP Nadda and discuss the matter. It may be re- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ T’Puram/ New Delhi THE F-35B fighter aircraft of the British Royal Navy strand, ed in the Thiruvananthapuram international airport for the past three weeks, was on Sunday moved out from the tarmac. The aircraft was towed by a team of British engineers, who arrived from the UK on Sunday, using special equipment necessary for the movement and repair process. The 14-member team arrived aboard a Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft, carrying specialist equipment. The jet, stranded since June 14 due to a hydraulic system failure, was moved to a designated hangar space provided by Air India. The development came after the UK accepted the offer of a S I D D H A R D H A G AT T I M I @ Hyderabad BRICS leaders on Sunday condemned the Pahalgam terror attack “in the strongest terms” and flagged the dangers of cross-border terrorism. “We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which 26 people were killed,” the BRICS leaders declaration said. In his hard-hitting address at the BRICS Summit at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called out countries that support terrorism, saying they “must pay the price.” He urged BRICS to take a clear stand for overcoming terrorism, saying there is no room for double standards. “We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing, and safe havens. We urge to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and re- ject double standards in countering terrorism,” the BRICS leaders’ declaration said. The declaration called for the swift adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism under the United Nations framework and demanded concerted global action against all UN-designated called that during the last three months, urea has not been supplied to the state as per allocation. He is expected to urge Nadda to address the issue. Recently, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao in a letter urged the Union minister to supply adequate urea to the state. According to sources, Revanth is likely to meet the Union ministers concer ned and seek approvals for the Hyderabad Metro expansion and Regional Ring Road (RRR). Re- cently, the government has finalised the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Hyderabad Metro Phase - 2 and sent it to the Central government for approval. Meanwhile, the sources indicated that he will meet the leaders of AICC and discuss the issues re garding the party. Revanth is considering inviting Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi to a public meeting to be held in Thungathurthi constituency on July 14 to distribute new ration cards to beneficiaries. space in the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport. “The UK remains very grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities and airport teams,” British High Commission stated. This newspaper had earlier reported that F-35B Lightning II fighter would be repaired at its present location, for which a team would be flown in from the UK. The F-35B fighter jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram on the night of June 14, 2025 as it faced adverse weather conditions and low fuel. The aircraft was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales as it was caught in adverse weather conditions. A Royal Navy helicopter had flown in an additional pilot and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva upon his arrival in Brazil | PTI terrorists and entities. Making a sharp geopolitical statement, the BRICS leaders condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Iran and expressed alarm over escalating violence. “We condemn the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025, which constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and express grave concern over the subsequent escalation of the security situation in the Middle East,” the declaration read. In his address to the 17th BRICS Summit’s session on Reform of Global Governance,” Modi made a clarion call for an inclusive world order led by meaningful institutional reform. “The Global South has often faced double standards. Whether it’s about development, distribution of resources, or security-related matters, the interests of the Global South have not been given due importance,” Modi said. WITH THIS ISSUE 28 PAGES, INCLUDING 16 OF ENGINEERING SPECIAL (TABLOID) They have come under scrutiny over preparations and why residents along the river were not alerted | P9 Ex-soldier’s land fight gets govt attention A S E S HA C HAR Y U L U @ Suryapet Students in remote village tap AI tools Responding to TNIE article na yet the team management to broaden knowledge has flown in Haryana speedster Anshul Kamboj as a cover. Calling up a back-up bowler in the middle of a series usually don’t paint a very rosy picture. What makes it more intriguing is Manchester weather. The Met Department issued yellow warning for Sunday and Monday for heavy and perhaps thundery spells. There is forecast of light rain throughout the match as well. With the surface expected to be damp, India would be in a huddle to find their best possible combination before Wednesday  . P11 J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi kee, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune, a Geologist, and the Indian Institute of Technolo g y (IIT) Indore. “The home minister’s direction came following a recent meeting in which he was apprised that Himachal Pradesh has witnessed an increase in the frequency and intensity of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and torrential rainfall, causing widespread loss of life, damage to infrastructure, livelihoods and environmental degradation,” a senior official of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said. The Centre has already deputed an inter-ministerial team for on-the-spot, first-hand assessment of the damages in the state. The team is currently visiting the affected areas. T-Fiber, the state’s flagship programme, aims to provide affordable, high-speed broadband connectivity to every household. As part of its Proof of Concept rollout, Adavi Srirampur is one of four pilot villages experiencing the transformative power of digital inclusion. A video recently shared by the T-Fiber team features students at the Adavi Srirampur school using Perplexity.ai, an AI-powered research assistant, to ask questions, clear doubts, and explore topics beyond their textbooks through voice-enabled queries. The video drew praise from Perplexity Cofounder and CEO Aravind Srinivas, who reposted it on social media platform ‘X’, noting: “It is great to see schools in India having their students learn with Perplexity as a tutor. Our founding mission is to make the world’s knowledge accessible, and I’m glad it’s having its impact.” titled “Ex-soldier battles to regain land,” published on July 7, Suryapet District Collector Tejas Nand Lal has conducted a hearing regarding the land dispute involving ex-serviceman M Kondal Reddy. The hearing followed notices issued three days earlier to Reddy and those accused of forging documents related to the land. During the session, the collector heard arguments from both sides and adjourned the matter to July 26. The dispute concerns five acres of land in Nandapuram IN a remarkable example of how digital infrastructure can bridge educational divides, students at the Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS) in Adavi Srirampur village, Peddapalli district, are embracing cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools like Perplexity.ai, thanks to highspeed internet access under the Telangana government’s T-Fiber initiative. A file photo of Minister Sridhar Babu with Perplexity.ai CEO Aravind Srinivas Responding to the post, IT Minister D Sridhar Babu recalled his meeting with Srinivas in August last year and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to technological CONTINUED ON P5 equity . British Royal Navy fighter jet F-35B being towed to hangar at Thiruvananthapuram airport. Inset: UK’s Atlas ZM417 that brought aviation engineers and equipment | PTI THE AIRCRAFT MADE EMERGECY LANDING The F-35B jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram on the night of June 14, 2025 as it faced adverse weather conditions and low fuel engineer the next day but early , repair efforts were unsuccessful. Towing the aircraft was deemed too risky, prompting the UK to send a full engineering crew. gating the matter or restoring the land to him, the administration took it back into government possession. Kondal Reddy later approached the high court, which in September last year directed the district collector to conduct a hearing and revillage, Tirumalagiri solve the matter within mandal, originally alExpress eight weeks. adminlotted to Kondal Reddy However, the Impact by the state governistration failed to act, ment. However, some prompting TNIE to individuals allegedly athighlight the officials’ tempted to encroach on the inaction and possible conland using forged documents. tempt of court. The article Reddy had earlier appealed to eventually spurred the authorthe then district collector for ities to initiate the long-overan inquiry. Instead of investi- due hearing. Ex-soldier battles to regain land A S E S H A C H A R Y U L U @ Nalgonda THE highly revered Indian slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” rings hollow for Modugu Kondal Reddy a 70-year-old ex, serviceman from Suryapet district, who is entangled in a prolonged struggle with the revenue department and an unscrupulous tenant over five acres of land rightfully assigned to him. In 1991, Kondal Reddy, who served 18 years in the Indian Army, was granted five acres in Survey No. 159/19, Nandapuram village, Tirumalagiri mandal, in recognition of his service. Holding Pattadar Passbook No. T29220020366 and Account No. 787, he cultivated the land until illness forced him to lease it to his neighbour. This decision sparked a distressing ordeal. The tenant allegedly forged a ‘Sada Bainama’ (informal sale agreement) to claim ownership and illegally sold two acres to another individual, violating the Assign- ment Act of 1977. In 2020, Kondal Reddy applied for a new pattadar passbook via the Dharani portal, only to find the tenant had also applied for the same land. Allegations surfaced that the tenant and buyer influenced mandal officials, leading to an alleged flawed inquiry by the Tirumalagiri tahsildar. The inquiry report, forwarded to then Suryapet District Collector Amoy Kumar (Letter No. B/1542/19), confirmed Kondal Reddy’s sole ownership. CONTINUED ON P5