SAMBALPUR l tuesday l december 23, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION S.C. pulls up U’khand govt over forest land grab by pvt entities 2,866 acres of forest land under lens The case concerns 2,866 acres of forest land, a part of which was leased to Pashu Lok Seva Samiti. The society subsequently allotted land parcels to its members. A dispute later arose, and it went into liquidation in 1984, surrendering 594 acres to government. But, some individuals, including the petitioner, claimed to have taken possession of the land in 2001 A vacation bench initiated a suo motu case on Monday observing that the state remained a mute spectator while forest land was being grabbed ■ 1950 Govt’s approach shocking: CJI-led bench ■ “What is shocking to us is that the State of Uttarakhand and authorities are sitting like mute spectators when forest land is being grabbed in front of their eyes,” the bench led by CJI Surya Kant said It directed all construction be halted at once and that vacant land, excluding residential houses, be taken into possession by the state when The land in question was alloted to Pashu Lok Seva Samiti 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 Tariff-free access Explicit death threats to journos New Zealand joins growing FTA list, fastest deal so far Press freedom has emerged as another flashpoint. Editors warned that threats against journalists have escalated after attacks on media offices last week. “Journalists are receiving explicit death threats,” The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam said at a protest organised in Dhaka by the Editors’ Council on Monday US expands online review of H-1B, H4 applicants express news service Bangladesh’s Editors’ Council protests the mob attack on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in Dhaka, on Monday | AFP DIPAK MONDA L @ New Delhi B’desh halts visa to Indians Motaleb Sikdar, leader of the National Citizen Party, shot at, further stoking pre-poll tension @ New Delhi J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi THE United States has extended online presence reviews to all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants worldwide, a move aimed at curbing work visa programme abuse but causing disruptions. “Beginning December 15, the Department of State expanded online presence reviews to ALL H-1B and H-4 applicants as part of standard visa screening,” the US Embassy in New Delhi said Monday. “This vetting is being conducted globally for ALL applicants of ALL nationalities… while still permitting companies to hire the best of the best temporary foreign workers.” H-4 visas cover spouses and unmarried children under 21 of H-1B holders. The State Department warned of delays, encouraging applicants to “apply as early as they can”. The expanded vetting has A VIS already disrupted travel plans for Indian H-1B holders who returned home to renew visas. Dozens of visa interviews scheduled between December 15-26 were abruptly cancelled or postponed, with many rescheduled for as late as March, The Washington Post reported. The State Department said delays followed expanded social media screening “to ensure that no applicants… pose a threat to U.S. national security or public safety .” Immigration lawyers described the impact as severe. “This is the biggest mess we have seen. I’m not sure there is a plan,” Indian immigration lawyer Veena Vijay Ananth told The Washington Post. Emily Neumann, a partner at Houston-based Reddy Neumann Brown PC, said she had “at least 100 clients stranded in India”. Indians, who comprise 71% of H-1B visa holders according to April 2025 data, are disproportionately affected. The Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi and its consulate in Agartala on Monday suspended all visa and consular services for Indians, as political violence and protests continued to roil the country less than two months ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12. No timeline was given for the resumption of services, amid heightened diplomatic and security sensitivities between Dhaka and New Delhi. The suspension comes two days after a group of around 20-25 protesters demonstrated outside the Bangladesh mission in Delhi, condemning the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a gar ment worker in My- mensingh, and demanding targeted violence and politiprotection for minorities in cal unrest. Bangladesh. Hadi, 32, was the founder of External Affairs Ministry Inqilab Moncho, a platform spokesperson Randhir Jaisw- that emerged from last year’s al had on Sunday said mass protests against that “there was no atthen prime minister tempt to breach the Sheikh Hasina, which fence or create a secuculminated in her rity situation at any ouster. He had antime,” adding the ponounced plans to conlice dispersed the test the February 12 group within minutes. elections and was Days after the killing campaigning in Dhaof prominent youth Motaleb Sikdar ka when he was shot leader Sharif Osman earlier this month. Bin Hadi, another poHis death triggered litical activist was attacked on widespread protests across Monday. Motaleb Sikdar, Bangladesh, with supporters Khulna divisional chief of alleging that the assailants the National Citizen Party fled to India and demanding (NCP), was shot in the head in their arrest. Police, however, Khulna and is undergoing said there is no clarity on the treatment in hospital. The at- suspects’ whereabouts. The tack has intensified fears of deteriorating security situa- tion prompted Indian student bodies to urge New Delhi to ensure the safety of Indian nationals in Bangladesh, particularly medical students. Amid the unrest, Bangladesh’s interim leadership convened a high-level meeting to review law and order. Inqilab Moncho issued an ultimatum, threatening to launch a movement to oust the interim administration if justice is not delivered in Hadi’s murder. Against this backdrop, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Grigoryevich Khozin called for de-escalation between Dhaka and New Delhi. “Shoulder to shoulder, India, Bangladesh and Russia were together (since 1971),” he said. IN one of the fastest trade negotiations in recent times, India New Zealand on Monday concluded a free trade pact in just nine months, offering duty-free access for Indian goods to the island nation’s markets. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon after which the two leaders jointly announced the conclusion of what they described as the “historic, ambitious and mutually beneficial” pact. Earlier, New Zealand imposed peak tariffs of up to 10% on key Indian exports such as textiles and apparel, leather, ceramics, carpets, automobiles and auto components. Now, 100% of India’s current exports will get tariff-free access to the New Zealand market. In return, India has offered market access in about 70% of tariff lines, covering 95% of the bilateral trade value, while keeping 29.97% of tariff lines under an exclusion list covering sensitive sectors such as dairy and agriculture. “With zero-duty market access for Indian products, Indian exporters will become more competitive and enjoy a level- Have proven Odisha’s industrial prowess Massive by grounding projects of `2L cr in 1 yr: CM pay hike for India women cricketers E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Mohan Charan Mahji on Monday asserted that Odisha has effectively demonstrated its industrialisation competence by grounding projects worth over `2.5 lakh crore in 2025 only . The state is decisively marching towards achieving the goal of Viksit Odisha 2036, being powered by r ap i d i n d u s t r i a l i s at i o n a n d strengthening its manufacturing sector, he said. As the year nears its end, the chief minister showcased the state’s success in attracting investments, right from Utkarsh Odisha: Makein-Odisha Conclave in January till the just-concluded Hyderabad roadshow, which have resulted in a cumulative intents exceeding `7.1 lakh crore in just one calendar year. Briefing mediapersons after returning from Hyderabad, Majhi said, “The success of the visit comes at an important moment in Odisha’s industrial journey as Utkarsh Odisha-2025 moves closer to completing one year. Our government has approved 343 large industrial projects with an investment Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi being welcomed by his cabinet colleagues and BJP MLAs at the airport on his return to Bhubaneswar after his Hyderabad roadshow, on Monday Our government has approved 343 large industrial projects with an investment value exceeding `7.1 lakh crore and employment potential of over 4.65 lakh Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister value exceeding `7.1 lakh crore and employment potential of over 4.65 lakh.” The gover nment has so far grounded or inaugurated 85 projects involving investments of over `2 lakh crore which would create more than 1.65 lakh jobs. “This progress underscores Odisha’s ability to move projects swiftly from approval to implementation, translating intent into factories, infrastructure and real employment,” he said. He said the Hyderabad engagements covered a wide spectrum of sectors including pharmaceuticals and medical devices, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy equipment, electronics and ESDM, textiles and technical textiles, IT and data centres, and aerospace and defence. These engagements translated into tangible outcomes with investment proposals of Continued on P5 `66,781 crore.  century-old connection In a little-known Kerala shrine rests the relics of the real-life ‘Santa’ R e n j i t h L e e n @ Kochi As the Yuletide spirit fills the air, posters, cutouts, and dolls of Santa Claus appear everywhere, heralding the season of love and sharing. However, not many may know that Santa, the most popular symbol of Christmas, is inspired from and modelled after St Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from Myra in ancient Turkey, who was known for his generosity and secret giftgiving. Some may even find it hard to believe that the real-life Santa has a Kerala connection. For more than a cen“St Geevarghese Mar tury, Pampakuda, a Gregorios, aka Parusleepy village located mala Thirumeni, 35 km away from Erbrought the relics to nakulam, has been Pampakuda afhome to a relic of St ter visiting Nicholas. Barring resthe Holy idents, not many are Land in aware that the modest 1895. He wayside shrine at wished to Pampakuda in front of The shrine housing the relic gift them to St John’s Ephesus Or- of St Nicholas at Pampakuda; h i s t u t o r, thodox Church is home (inset) The reliquary Konat Geevarghese to six priceless relics, containing the relic | Express Malpan. Upon learnone of which is a fraging that his beloved ment of the remains of St guru had passed away while he was Nicholas. overseas, St Gregorios gifted the relics to Fr. Konat Mathen, who was the Malpan (teacher) at the time. My grandfather, Konat Mathen Malpan, was instrumental in enshrining the relics near the wayside cross. Later, a proper shrine was built, and the reliquaries were enshrined there,” said the priest whose family had several illustrious Syriac scholars. Fr Konat explained that the relics were gifted to St Gregorios by the Metropolitan of Jerusalem. Today, the bulk of the relics of St Nicholas rests in Bari in Italy, though fragments of his bones are kept in churches throughout Europe. Dedicated pathway for Indian students The FTA offers a dedicated pathway for Indian students in NZ, removing numerical caps and guaranteeing a minimum 20 hours of work per week during study playing field in New Zealand,” the commerce ministry said. With 100% duty-free access, India’s labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, footwear, marine products, gems and jewellery, handicrafts, engineering goods, and automobiles could see a sharp rise in exports. The free trade agreement also includes a future-ready mobility framework with improved entry and stay provisions for Indian professionals, students and youth. A new Temporary Employment Entry Visa pathway will allow up to 5,000 Indian professionals at any given time to work in New Zealand for up to three years. Senior woman cricketer will now receive `50,000 for one-dayers and multi-day ties. For T20s, the pay has been increased to `25,000. Junior cricketers will receive matchday fee of `25,000