kollam l tuesday l april 21, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Bengal Sir tribunals allegedly non-functional, SC seeks report SIR The Supreme Court said it would seek a report from the Calcutta HC amid claims that appellate tribunals in West Bengal are non-functional Tribunals barring lawyers, petitioners say ‘One after the other’, CJI voices displeasure Advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the petitioners, told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the SIR appellate tribunals were not allowing lawyers to represent parties and were only accepting online applications. “We will get a report from the chief justice (of the Calcutta HC) today itself,” CJI Kant responded ■ ■ The chief justice expressed displeasure that almost every day, the matters related to SIR in West Bengal were being mentioned before the court. “Every day you people, one after the other...” he said The Calcutta High Court has set up 19 tribunals to decide appeals against the deletion or exclusion of names from the voters’ list Thursday When the first phase of assembly polls will be held in west bengal 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 On eve of inauguration by PM, L80K cr refinery up in flames Modi’s visit postponed after the fire incident; no casualties reported; investigation launched RA J E S H A S NANI @ Jaipur A massive fire broke out at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL)’s new oil refinery at Pachpadra in Rajasthan’s Balotra district on Monday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate it. The entire refinery complex had to be evacuated following the blaze, which broke out near the crude distillation unit around 2 pm. There were no casualties. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the PM’s programme would not take place on Tuesday and a new date would be announced. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained and a probe has been launched to find out what led to the blaze and take remedial measures, the ministry added. The fire incident on the eve of the PM’s programme has raised serious questions about the security arrangements and preparations in place. According to eyewitnesses, plumes of smoke from the re- scholarship push With ‘Unnathi’, 42 ST students pursue studies abroad in 2 yrs As w i n As o k K u m a r @ T’Puram Climbing the ladder of success from marginalised communities, as many as 42 Scheduled Tribe (ST) students from Kerala went abroad for higher studies in the past two academic years — 2024-25 and 2025-26 — after receiving assistance through the state government’s Unnathi scholarship scheme. While 25 tribal students received scholarships in 2024-25, 17 students availed the same in 2025-26. The rise is remarkable as only 40 students went overseas under the programme between 2013-14 and 2024-25, before the scholarship scheme was revamped. According to officials, a total of Rs 9.87 crore was disbursed as scholarship amounts to these students from the tribal communities during the period, with some receiving up to Rs 25 lakh. With this, the total number of tribal students who have flown abroad to pursue higher studies under the Unnathi scholarship scheme has increased to 82, starting from 2013, and Rs 19.76 crore has been spent for their studies. The United Kingdom has remained the favourite destination over the years, with the students also seeking careers in countries like Australia and New Zealand. The courses they pursue also vary ranging from an MA in so, cial policy and criminology to post-graduate engineering courses. “However, these students generally tend to study, find a job, and settle in these foreign countries. This has motivated more students from the underprivileged sections to pursue higher studies,” said an official with the Scheduled Tribe development department. ● More on P4 Firefighters douse the blaze at HPCL’s refinery in Balotra, Rajasthan on Monday | PTI Fire broke out near the ‘heart’ of the refinery The fire broke out near the crude distillation unit, the primary unit considered the heart of an oil refinery. According to reports, refineries are susceptible to fires, explosions, and catastrophic failures during the commissioning phase, as this period involves introducing hydrocarbons into new or maintained high-pressure, high-temperature systems finery were visible from afar. The unexpected fire a day before a high-profile event caused chaos and panic among officials and security personnel. Chief Secretary V Srinivas had reached Pachpadra on Monday to oversee the arrangements for the PM’s visit. Fire safety systems were immediately activated upon detecting the fire. Teams from both the municipal fire department and the refinery’s inter- nal fire brigade brought the fire under control after around two hours. India’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex, HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd (HRRL) is considered crucial for the country’s energy sector. HRRL is a joint venture between HPCL and the Government of Rajasthan with an equity participation of 74% and 26%, respectively . Built at a cost of `79,450 crore, HRRL is considered one of India’s key energy projects. The refinery has a capacity of 9 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) and a petrochemical capacity of 2.4 mmtpa. The refinery will produce petrol and diesel along with petrochemical products such as polypropylene, linear lowdensity polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, benzene, toluene, and butadiene. The sprawling complex is spread across 4,400 acres and the project is expected to reduce dependence on oil imports.  (With inputs from Rakesh  Kumar in New Delhi) U.S. team yet to reach pak Big ‘no’ to peace talks, says Iran ‘Lots of bombs to go off’ Trump has warned that he would not extend the ceasefire unless Iran reaches a deal with the US by Wednesday. Speaking to PBS News, Trump said that if the ceasefire ends without a peace deal, “then lots of bombs start going off” 3,375 killed in war: Iran According to Iran, a total of 3,375 people have been killed in the conflict so far, 496 of them women. The figure, given by Abbas Masjedi, head of Iran’s Legal Medicine Organisation, did not specify civilian deaths A g e n c i e s @ Tehran / Washington / Dubai the much-touted second round of peace talks in Pakistan appears to be a non-starter with the US team of negotiators led by Vice President J D Vance yet to board the plane to Islamabad and Iran categorically stating that it has no plans to hold any more talks. “We have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday . Iran’s statement came after the US Navy, which is ‘blockading’ the Strait of Hormuz, seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship. Announcing the next round of day peace talks with Iran, US President Donald T r ump had on Sunday said the US team would reach Islamabad by Monday evening. He initially said Vance wouldn’t go this time due to security concerns but the White House later clarified that the vice president would lead the delegation. However, as of Monday night, reports said Vance was still in Washington. Meanwhile, news agency Reuters claimed that Iran might relent and agree to attend the talks after Pakistan promised to persuade the US to end the blockade. The first round of talks on April 11 had ended without a deal and both sides accused the other of breaching the ceasefire pact. The two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran P9 is set to expire on Wednesday  . 52 Police intel flags India and S Korea set $50 billion trade `20-cr scam tied to target by 2030, to resume CEPA talks Sabarimala ritual Java r i a Ra n a a n d P u s h p i ta D e y @ New Delhi Ab d u l N a z e r M A @ Kochi The state police’s intelligence wing has flagged serious irregularities linked to the ‘neyy thenga’ ritual at the Sabarimala temple, with contractors suspected of illegally diverting the ghee-filled coconuts, meant to be consigned to the sacred ‘aazhi’ (fire pit), to private Pilgrims throwing broken coconuts into the ‘aazhi’ after ‘neyyabhishekam’ at godowns. The ‘illicit trade’ is estimated Sabarimala temple | file photo to have generated up to `50 lakh a day, potentially touching `20 with broken ‘neyy thenga’ pieccrore during the last pilgrimage es. Upon questioning, he said season. At present, contracts the coconuts were collected permit only the collection of co- from devotees under the preconuts broken at designated ar- text of offering them in the eas on the temple premises. ‘aazhi’, on the contractor’s inA report of the intelligence structions, and that he received wing seeking a detailed investi- a commission of `7 per kg. Devgation has been otees later consubmitted to highfirmed that they press er authorities and handed over clusive had coconuts bethe matter has the reached officials lieving they would of the Travancore Devaswom be properly offered,” according Board (TDB), including the to the state police intelligence’s Sabarimala special commis- report accessed by TNIE. The individual caught with sioner and the executive magissacks containing the coconuts trate, said a top source. A Bengaluru-based company meant to be consigned to ‘aazhi’ had secured the contract to col- had a contractor-issued ID card lect the coconut offerings for an with him. The Sannidhanam amount of `7.61 crore, engag- police reached the spot and took . ing workers holding contrac- the materials into custody According to sources, the cotor-issued ID cards in shifts — both day and night — during conut pieces collected are rethe pilgrimage season, the portedly sold to third parties, and are in demand among oil source said. “On April 14, a person was production firms due to the ghee ● More on P4 found carrying sacks filled content, they said. E X P R ESS R E A D Temperatures to remain above normal till Friday SC seeks spl courts for UAPA, NDPS cases T’Puram: Summer continues to rage across Kerala, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a sharp rise in temperatures across the state till Friday. According to the latest forecast, hot and humid conditions will persist, with temperatures expected to remain 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average.P4 New Delhi: The Supreme Court suggested that keeping in view the delays in cases under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, there was an urgent need to set up exclusive special courts to deal with them. It said the delays raise serious concerns under Article 21. P7 Pitching their ties as a “message of peace and stability” amid global tensions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday expanded cooperation across energy critical , minerals, shipbuilding, semiconductors and steel, set a target to double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030 and announced Seoul’s entry into the International Solar Alliance and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The two sides also agreed to resume stalled negotiations to upgrade the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with the next round scheduled for May and a deadline to conclude talks by the first half of 2027. Projecting a broader economic and strategic alignment, Modi said cooperation would expand “from chips to ships, talent to technology, environment to energy spanning sem,” iconductors, electronics, maritime industries and defence EAM S Jaishankar and his South Korean counterpart exchange an MoU as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, look on | PTI ‘India might rewrite chapters of CEPA’ The push to upgrade CEPA comes amid stalled talks in 2024 over tariffs and non-tariff barriers. The joint declaration commits both sides to holding the next round in May and concluding the upgrade by mid-2027. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India might rewrite chapters of the CEPA if needed to address India’s trade deficit manufacturing. Bilateral trade currently stands at around $27 billion. To drive this, the two countries agreed to set up a ministerial-level Industrial Coopera- tion Committee, their first such mechanism, to coordinate investments and supply chains in critical minerals, nuclear and clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Mangled remains of the bus involved in the accident in J&K’s Udhampur | PTI At least 21 dead, 61 injured as bus falls into gorge in J&K F aya z w a n i @ Srinagar At least 21 people were killed and 61 others injured after the bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Monday. Officials said the passenger bus was on its way from Ramnagar to Udhampur, when it met with the accident near Khagote village in Ramnagar around 10 am. “The driver lost control while negotiating a sharp curve at Khagote. At the same time, an auto-rickshaw was in the vicinity. The bus crushed the auto-rickshaw and plunged nearly 100 metres into the deep gorge before landing upside down on the road below,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (Udhampur-Reasi Range) Shiv Kumar Shar ma told reporters. The impact of the fall was so severe that the entire top portion of the bus got crushed, trapping all passengers inside the mangled wreckage. Locals, police, and SDRF personnel soon launched a relief and rescue operations. An army convoy that was moving through the area also assisted. Injured persons were rushed to the Government Medical College, Udhampur. Two critically injured persons were later referred to the Government Medical College, Jammu for specialised treatment. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia of `2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and `1 lakh to those seriously injured. Those with minor injuries would be given `25,000. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “pained to hear about the loss of lives”. The PM announced an ex gratia of `2 lakh from PM’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each of the deceased. Those injured would be given `50,000. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed the district administration, police, SDRF and the health department to provide all possible assistance. steep hike Coconut pluckers’ wages climb 83% in a decade M S V i d ya n a n d a n @T’Puram A coconut plucker in Kerala earns more in 21 working days than what 28,000 state government employees take home as basic pay in a month! While the plucker’s daily earning is `1,400, the basic pay of 5.5% of the state’s 5.23 lakh employees is below `30,000 a month, which comes to under `1,000 a day However, the latter . comes with with pension, job security and allowances that the plucker will never have. This wage rise did not happen overnight. A comparison of the price indices analysis reports of the department of economics and statistics for 2015 and 2024 shows coconut pluckers recorded the decade’s highest wage increase of 83% from Coconut plucker Shiva Narayan Marawi, a Chhattisgarh native, at work an annual average of `755 in 2015 to `1,380 in 2024, outpacing carpenters, masons, paddy workers and every other agricultural and skilled labour cat- egory tracked in the report. Shiva Narayan Marawi, a 36-year-old from Chhattisgarh who has been working as a coconut climber in Kerala for six years, says the pay is what drew him here. Back home, he was farming ragi and potatoes on his family’s five-acre holding when a Keralite contractor’s offer came through a friend. “On the first day, when I looked down from the top of the tree, my legs trembled. However, after three days of training with the climbing apparatus, I never looked back. Today I have no fear – I am ready to climb trees of any height,” he told TNIE. Shiva earns between `1,500 and `2,000 a day gets work eve, ry day, and sees his earnings dip only during the heavy mon- soon. He is part of a 25-member t e a m f ro m C h h at t i s g a r h brought by the contractor. The growing presence of migrant workers in Kerala’s coconut groves points to a larger lesson about skills and the dignity of labour, says Dr K Ravi Raman, labour studies expert and member of the Kerala State Planning Board. “There is an infinite supply of labour from within the state for last-grade government jobs that require no particular skill. The migrant, by contrast, learnt a skill and now commands a premium. Malayalis must learn to acquire and enrich skills based on market demands. And equally, the question of dignity of labour is something they are yet to fully embrace,” he said.  ● More on P4