BHUBANESWAR l sunday l november 02, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late CITY EDITION city of Nawabs goes global as unesco high-fives its cuisine Lucknow has been inducted into UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network under the ‘Gastronomy’ category, a testimony of its culinary heritage lucknow is a haven for food, says u.n. Make a trip for its uniqueness: pm modi UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay designated 58 cities as new members of the CCN “for their commitment to championing creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development”. The UN in India in a post on X said, “From mouth-watering Galouti Kabab to Awadhi Biryani, desserts like Makhan Malai and so much more — Lucknow is a haven for food...” ■ ■ Lucknow isn’t just about its kebabs. If the ever-inviting, rather demure, creamy “Malai Gilori” is an all-time favourite, the mouth-watering “paani puri” or “paani ke batashe”, are favourites too “I am glad UNESCO recognised this aspect of Lucknow. I call upon people to visit it to discover its uniqueness,” PM Modi said on X 408 cities in the world are part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network 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 Women among 9 people killed in AP temple crush No police permission sought for the event U s h a P e r i @ Srikakulam Nine devotees, eight of them women and a 13-year-old boy died , in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga, Srikakulam district, on Saturday. The crush occurred when a large number of people thronged the temple for darshan on the first Ekadasi of Karthika Masam, considered auspicious. Two persons are reportedly in a critical condition, while about 15 others suffered minor injuries. All the victims hailed from nearby villages and mandals. Srikakulam district Superintendent of Police KV Maheswara Reddy said the temple was built recently on a private land without proper permissions. “The structure, including the gate and stairway was com, pleted only 3-4 months ago. The crowd tried to enter through an exit gate with a seven-foot drop. The grill at the spot was weak, and collapsed due to the pressure, leading to the fall of sevRescue efforts on after the stampede at eral devotees,” he explained. No permission was sought the temple in Kasibugga | Express from local police for crowd management. “A case has been Odisha woman killed registered against the temple owner, Hari Mukunda Panda, Berhampur: A 23-year-old woman under various sections of culfrom Ganjam district was among pable homicide,” the SP said. those who lost their lives. The Prime Minister Narendra deceased has been identified as R Modi expressed grief over the Jyoti alias Rupa, while another tragedy, and announced an exwoman, B Rohini, sustained injuries. gratia of `2 lakh to each of the Both hail from Gudipadar village. families of the deceased, and `50,000 to those injured in the incident. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to ensure immediate medical aid and relief. The state government said the temple was not under the control of the endowments department. Harimukund Panda acknowledged that they were unprepared for the surge in devotees. “We rarely get more than a 1,000 even on special days. Today several , thousands arrived for darshan. We did not anticipate the crowd, and did not alert the police,” he admitted. Collective security key to sovereignty: Rajnath United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and its adDEFENCE Minister Rajnath vocacy for freedom of navigaSingh on Friday reaffirmed In- tion and overflight in the Indodia’s stance in the Indo-Pacific, Pacific, are not directed against stressing that its emphasis on any country but are meant to the “rule of law” does not tar- safeguard the collective interget any country but ests of all re gional seeks to protect regionstakeholders,” said al interests collectively . Singh on Saturday . Speaking at the 12th Singh asserted that ASEAN Defence MinisIndia’s strategic enters’ Meeting — Plus gagement with ASEAN (12th ADMM-Plus) is not transactional but m e e t i n g i n Ku a l a long-term & principleL u m p u r, M a l ay s i a , Rajnath Singh driven, and it rests on a Singh underscored that shared belief that the India’s advocacy of the Indo-Pacific should reUN Convention on the Law of main open, inclusive, and free the Sea and freedom of naviga- from coercion. “India is ready tion reflects a commitment to to deepen cooperation in all arinclusivity, openness, and sta- eas of mutual interest to probility in the region. mote dialogue, and to strength“India’s emphasis on the en mechanisms that ensure rule of law, particularly the peace and stability .” mayan k s i n g h @ New Delhi A view of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s house in Kalyan Bigha in Nalanda district | Rajesh Kumar thakur Former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s ancestral home in Fulwaria in Gopalganj | Special arrangement 2005 fallout on Lalu, Nitish villages R A J ESH KU M A R TH A KUR @ Nalanda/Gopalganj IN Bihar’s political heartland, two villages—Kalyan Bigha in Nalanda and Fulwaria in Gopalganj — stand as contrasting portraits of their most illustrious sons, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Kalyan Bigha, Nitish Kumar’s ancestral village, mirrors the CM’s focus on development and order. T he once-slee py hamlet now gleams with smooth roads, solar-lit lanes, and uninterrupted electricity. On the spectrum’s far-end, former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Fulwaria reflects the fading imprint of a political era long past. Once popularly referred to as a “mini-secretariat” during the RJD’s rule from 1990 to 2005, Fulwaria is now lost in the tedious warp of time, with whatever once built now slowly withering away . In Kalyan Bigha, where Nitish Kumar is affectionately called as “Munna”, villagers speak with pride and gratitude. “Our Munna has made this village immortal with development works,” said 70-year-old Girendra Singh, sitting under a tree near the market that’s buzzing with evening chatter. The village has round-the-clock electricity, high speed internet, a referral hospital, a high school upgraded to the 10+2 level, an ITI, a shooting range and a spacious guest house. Nitish’s ancestral doublestorey home remains locked for most of the year, except during his visits to the Smriti-sthal, a memorial built in memory of his parents and wife. Nearby, the restored Devi-sthal — where he reportedly prays before major political moves — serves as the village’s spiritual heart. Every corner echoes the villagers’ affection for both Nitish and his son, Nishant Kumar. Their only worry— why the NDA hasn’t formally projected Nitish again as chief ministerial face. About 200 km away, in Ful- waria, the once-busy helipad is in ruin, the railway station silent, and battered link roads carry the scars of neglect. “Samay ka chakra hai. Jo kal chamakta tha aaj murjha raha hai (It’s the wheel of time. What once used to shine has now lost its glitter),” says Parmeshwari Singh, watching cattle graze where choppers once landed. Fulwaria’s old hospital still functions but in a ramshackle state. Lalu Yadav’s two-storey ancestral home, with a statue of his mother inside, serves as a reminder of his past glory . Villagers hope for a revival under Tejashwi Yadav. “When he comes to power, Fulwaria will bloom again,” says Nityanand, a starry-eyed youth. After SiCSem groundbreaking, CM says SI job scam mastermind Odisha poised to be semicon hub of India Sankar held from U’khand Express News Service A s i s h M e h ta @ Bhubaneswar Odisha has taken another step forward in its mission to emerge as an advanced electronics and semiconductor hub with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi performing the groundbreaking of the state’s first compound semiconductor manufacturing unit, at Info Valley-II on Saturday . As approved by India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), the compound semiconductor fabrication and assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) facility by SiCSem Private Limited will be set up at an estimated capital investment of `2,067 crore. The semicon unit will create 5,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. With an annual capacity of 60,000 wafers along with a packaging capacity of 96 million units, the facility will manufacture critical components for electric vehicles, missiles, defence systems, railways and renewable energy . Speaking on the occasion, Majhi said Odisha’s development journey in the semiconductor sector is getting stronger. “What used to take years earlier is now being completed in months. This is the speed A month after the police subinspector (SI) recruitment scam rocked the state, Sankar Prusty, the mastermind of the fraud, was arrested by the Crime Branch of Odisha Police from Uttarakhand on Saturday . Sources in the CB said Sankar was nabbed from the bordering areas of India and Nepal. He had apparently fled to Nepal after his involvement came to the fore. However, after a cooling period when he returned, a CB team caught hold of him in Uttarakhand. Initially, his movement was tracked in New Delhi. He had fled the state in his SUV after the scam came to the fore and went into hiding in the national capital. However, as the CB team went hot on his trail, he escaped to Nepal. As Sankar reentered the country, the agency’s officers apprehended him from the northern state on Saturday morning. “Sankar will be flown back to Odisha on Sunday,” said sources in the agency . Sankar headed Panchsoft Technologies, a firm which was contracted certain works of the SI recruitment examination. The important test, conduct- @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi being briefed about upcoming SiCSem unit What used to take years earlier is now being completed in months. This is the speed and power of New India and New Odisha. Odisha is emerging as the new electronics and IT capital of India Mohan Charan Majhi, CM and power of New India and New Odisha. After Bengaluru, Odisha is emerging as the new electronics and IT capital of India. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is moving ahead in all missions from chip to ship. Odisha is creating a new story of self-reliance in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing,” he said. The state government, Majhi said, has consistently focused on developing future-ready sec- tors through dedicated policies in semiconductors, electronics, AI and emerging technologies, making Odisha one of India’s most investment-friendly destinations. “Odisha is deeply committed to building a strong, self-reliant and technology-driven economy We are creating a seamless . ecosystem for investors through progressive policies, skill development, modern infrastructure and industry-academia collaboration,” he said. SicSem has already set up a research and innovation centre at IIT-Bhubaneswar with an investment of `64 crore. Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has also approved a ‘NAMO semiconductor laboratory’ at the IIT with an investment of `5 crore from his MP Continued on P5 LAD fund.  I CC W o m e n ’ s w o r l d c up Final destination: Harmanpreet & Co set to take a shot at immortality G o m e s h S @ Navi Mumbai IT doesn’t get any bigger than this — India team is set for the final of the home ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup here on Sunday. Their final obstacle before getting their hands on their first-ever ICC Trophy are South Africa — a team and country chasing a history of their own. One just needed to stroll along the roads around the DY Patil Stadium to understand what the final meant to the teams. With more than 24 hours to go, thousands of fans had flocked the gates and lanes of the venue, trying their luck to get tickets for the game. The official ticketing partner had gone from ‘coming soon’ to ‘event closed’ overnight, leaving the fans disappointed. Excitement was palpable as myriad emotions gripped the fans. T h e p re s s u re o f ‘availability of tickets’ did not spare the India captain either. Though it was an avoidable nuisance for players, Harmanpreet Kaur under- stood the gravity of it. She rather cheekily welcomed it. “I think it’s good that not only for cricket on the field but there is pressure for tickets also,” she said during the press conference on Saturday This daily has . reported how ticket prices on resaling websites have shot the roof. As much as Kaur had an off-the-cuff reply, the enormity of the occasion had not gone past her. Leading the country in a home World Cup for first time, she knew how crucial the final will be for women’s cricket. Despite the high points of the 2005, 2017 and 2020 World Cup finals (two ODIs and one T20), the silverware has remained elusive. With Sunday offering the chance to reshape history it , is understandable why Kaur called the home WC final the biggest thing in their lives. “We know how it feels to lose, but we are really looking forward to seeing how it feels after we win. Hopefully, this day tomorrow (Sunday) will be special for us,” said Kaur. If they manage to win, they will change the course of women’s cricket in P11 India forever.  Captains Harmanpreet Kaur and Laura Wolvaardt with World Cup trophy | PTI 3 pm on Jio/Hotstar; LIVE Star Sports Networks ed by the Odisha Police Recruitment Board (OPRB), was awarded to ITI Limited, a central PSU based out of Kolkata. The ITI Ltd, however, sub-contracted the work to Bhubaneswar-based Silicon Techlab and key tasks we re g ive n t o Pa n ch s o f t Technologies. The CB investigation revealed that Sankar was running a syndicate with the assistance of two associates Muna Mohanty and Srikanta Moharana. Both Muna and Srikanta were held last month. Probe also hinted about involvement of actors from outside the state in the recruitment scam. The scam came to fore on September 30 when police arrested 117 people, including 114 candidates who were on their way to Andhra Pradesh. As the case sparked widespread outrage, the state government entrusted the probe to the Crime Branch. Later, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi decided to hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation since the scam had multi-state links. The CB has arrested 124 people in connection with the case. A special court in Berhampur granted conditional bail to all the candidates on October 29. End of Maoist violence soon: PM MODI PM Narendra Modi said the number of districts affected by Maoist terror has dwindled from 125 to just three in the last 11 years | P7 WITH THIS ISSUE As spaces shrink and eco-awareness rises, urban Indians are embracing minimalist design More or Less PLUS 12 P AGES