BHUBANESWAR l tuesday l september 30, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l JEYPORE EDITION India to build two cross-border rail links to Bhutan for `4,000cr Under the project, the two Bhutanese cities of Gelephu and Samtse would be connected with Kokrajhar in Assam and Banarhat in West Bengal ‘relationship of trust, mutual respect’ Vaishnaw: big push for bhutan’s economy The details of the project was made public by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday. Under the two projects, 89 kms of railway lines will be laid and work is expected to be completed in the next four years. “India and Bhutan share a relationship of exceptional trust, mutual respect, and understanding,” Misri said ■ ■ India’s announcement of the railway projects have come amid efforts by China to increase its geo-strategic influence over Bhutan Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said it is crucial to have a good seamless rail connectivity for the Bhutanese economy to grow as most of the trade of Bhutan is done through Indian ports | P9 `10K Cr is india’s assistance to bhutan for its ongoing 13th five year plan 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 Govt raises workday to 10 hrs, OKs night shift for women E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar The state government on Monday extended the maximum daily work hours for all categories of commercial establishments from existing nine to 10 while allowing women employees to work night shifts and enhancing overtime wages for the workers. The state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved proposals for amendments to the Factories Act, 1948 and the Odisha Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1956 to maximise productivity, ease-of-doing-business and enhance economic activities. Announcing the decisions after the cabinet meeting, the chief minister said the maximum daily work time will now be 10 hours subject to an upper-limit of 48 hours in a week. The amendments will be applicable to all groups or classes of industries and factories as well as shops a n d c o m m e r c i a l establishments. Majhi said amendments to the Factories Act will allow women employees to work night shifts between 7 pm and 6 am in all factories, shops and commercial establishments. However, they will be engaged only with their written consent. The night shift engagement of women will be sub- Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi addressing mediapersons after the cabinet meeting on Monday ject to issues of their safety or any other conditions prescribed by the state government, he added. The chief minister said the state government through a notification may also increase the total working time without a break to six hours, but for 12 hour work time there will be a break in between. The total working hours with intervals in such cases will also not exceed 13 hours. Besides, the total working hours in a week including overtime will not exceed 60 hours, he added. Majhi also said the overtime wages will be twice the rate of the ordinary wages. The proposal to increase the overtime limit from 115 hours to 144 hours during a quarter in any financial year was also approved. The chief minister said the amendments will be applicable to all shops and commercial establishments which engage 20 or more employees. Shops and commercial establishments will have the choice to remain open 24X7 in a day and 365 days in a year, he added. Stating that these reforms will reduce compliance burden on small businesses and provide impetus to entrepreneurs, the CM said it will enhance earnings of employees by allowing more overtime work. Besides, it will also promote higher work participation opportunities for women in organised and corporate sector. Leh Apex Body to pull out of October 6 talks F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar Economy, defence, diplomacy, AI pose existential threats. New NSS is needed It is encouraging that the National Security Doctrine is likely to be finalised by year-end NSS will provide provide guidance to all organs of the govt on policy directions AP Maheshwari, ex-CRPF chief Prakash Singh, ex-DGP Lt Gen (Rtd) D S Hooda Comprehensive security doctrine on its final leg S u m i t K u m a r S i n g h @ New Delhi India’s first comprehensive security doctrine — the National Security Strategy (NSS) — is expected to be completed by December this year. The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has almost finalised the doctrine, which provides multidimensional understanding on external and internal security challenges and threats together with real-time preparedness. “Last-minute deliberations are on. The secretariat has received all the relevant inputs from stakeholders. Once approved, the draft will be placed before National Security Council (NSC) — chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approval,” said a senior government officer. Defence modernisation, technological advancement, cyber resilience, internal security, hybrid threat management, economic stability and strategic diplomacy will be interlinked pillars of the holistic security doctrine so as to anticipate, respond and mitigate threats comprehensively . The process to formulate the NSS and the National Defence Strategy began under National Security Ad- visor Ajit Doval’s watch in 2018. The NSCS was made the nodal body responsible for drafting the NSS. Deputy NSAs, domain experts, and retired military and senior police of ficers were drafted for the exercise. India has not had a security doctrine 26 years since the Kargil war. It’s not that India has never attempted such a doctrine before. Prakash Singh, former member of the National Security Advisory Board, said governments at different periods constituted committees that drafted them. “But they were never approved by the political establishment as they did not want to be bound down by any well-defined policy. Instead, they wanted to retain the discretion to deal with matters in the most politically convenient matter.” Major General (Rtd) Ashok Kumar said, “NSS is one of the most sought after documents by most countries. While its predictability is good, it also puts a strain for countries like India where emerging threats taking a different shape with every passing day Lt General (Rtd) .” Deependra Singh Hooda, said, “The formal articulation of NSS is a very welcome step.” THE Leh Apex Body (LAB) said on Monday that it would stay away from talks with the Centre till peace and normalcy is restored in Ladakh. “Dialogue cannot be held under the shadow of fear and repression,” said LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang. The Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which along with LAB is spearheading the protests for special rights to Ladakh, also supports the decision to suspend talks, a KDA leader said. The next meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC), through which the LAB leaders Thupstan Chhewang and Chering Dorjay at a press conference in Leh | express Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) holds talks with the Ladakhi groups, is scheduled on October 6. LAB demanded a judicial probe into the violence in the September 24 protests, in which four persons were killed and 80 divine glow Maa Durga worshipped at Rasulgarh puja pandal in Bhubaneswar | DEBADATTA MALLICK Canada terror lists Bishnoi gang H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh CANADA on Monday listed the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity for creating a “climate of fear and intimidation”. A terrorist listing means anything owned by that group in Canada — property, vehicles, money — can be frozen or seized, and gives law enforcement power to prosecute terrorist offences, including those related to financing, travel and recruitment. “The Bishnoi Gang is a tran- snational criminal organization.. engages in murder, shootings and arson, and generates terror through extortion and intimidation,’’ read a statement by Canadian government. The Bishnoi gang, which was implicated in Baba Siddique’s murder in Mumbai, has grown into a transnational crime syndicate with footprints in Canada and the US and active presence in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, UP and Rajasthan with over 700 sharp shooters. India vs Pak After Men’s Asia Cup, will drama spill over to Women’s WC? E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai The Asia Cup, perhaps, ended in the most apt manner possible. After three weeks of back and forth, multiple handshakegates, geopolitical intrigue, ugly verbals, and press conference point scoring, the posttournament ceremony finished in farcical circumstances. India refused to take the trophy from the Asian Cricket Council chair Mohsin Naqvi (also Pakistan’s interior minister), Naqvi refused to cede ground and India celebrated with an imaginary one to end the night. While the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia promised a strong protest against Naqvi’s act, the focus now shifts to what happens when India and Pakistan’s women’s teams face each other in the World Cup tie on October 5 in Colombo. Will Harmanpreet Kaur shake hands with Pakistan’s Fatima Sana? Will the mood be more congenial? Will the current toxicity touch that game too? Only time will tell but the Indian captain wouldn’t be dragged to commenting on that game yet. On Friday, she said the focus is on the tie versus Sri Lanka on Tuesday “Our main focus is on . that because that game is going to set the tone. We can only control the things we can control. We are not going to entertain anything else on the field because we are here to play cricket. Our focus will remain on cricket only,” Kaur said. injured, and the release of activist Sonam Wangchuk and others detained in connection with the protests. LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay accused the police and CRPF of using excessive force against the protesting youth. Late in the evening, the Home Ministry issued a brief statement saying the government is always open to dialogues on Ladakh matters with LAB and KDA. “We would continue to welcome the discussion with LAB and KDA through the HPC on Ladakh or any such platform,” it said adding, “We are confident that continuous dialogue would yield the desired results in near future.” INSIDE Cabinet approves 2.2K new model schools under GAV scheme I p2