BHUBANESWAR l wednesday l may 20, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late CITY EDITION RBI to transfer over `3 lakh cr to govt to cushion economic stress The Reserve Bank of India may transfer a record surplus of up to `3.4 lakh crore this week to the government, according to a Bloomberg report Board to meet on Friday to clear dividend Payout could EXCEED budget ESTIMATE RBI’s board will meet on Friday to approve the dividend, the news agency reported quoting sources. The surplus, generated through RBI’s activities in the year ended March, will shore up the government’s finances in the ongoing fiscal 2026-27 as the crude price rise inflates India’s import bill, widens the current account deficit, and exacerbates the foreign fund selloff ■ ■ RBI pays the dividend from income earned on its investments, foreign-exchange holdings and fees from printing currency notes In FY27 Budget, the government estimated `3.16 lakh crore in payouts from the RBI, state-run lenders, and other financial institutions. The central bank typically accounts for the bulk of this transfer `2.7 lakh cr RBI’s dividend transfer to the government last year 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 US extends waiver on oil sanctions The US extended its ‘waiver’ on sanctions for the purchase of seaborne Russian crude already in transit for the third consecutive month. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced “a temporary 30-day general licence to provide the most vulnerable nations with the ability to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea” Standards for blended petrol notified The Centre has notified fresh fuel standards for petrol blended with up to 30% ethanol. However, the notification only sets out the technical specifications and quality parameters required for introducing these higher ethanol blends in the market. It does not make the nationwide rollout or sale of E30 fuel mandatory at this stage Petrol, diesel prices hiked for second time in 4 days Fuel prices up 90 paise/litre; OMCs still losing nearly `750 cr a day Use ammonium sulphate instead of urea: ICAR RAK E SH KUMAR @ New Delhi four days after increasing petrol and diesel prices by a steep `3 per litre, state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) on Tuesday raised automobile fuel prices by another 90 paise, taking the cumulative hike to `3.90. Following the latest increase, petrol and diesel prices rose to `98.64 and `91.58 per litre, respectively, from `97.77 and `90.67 in the Delhi national capital region. In Mumbai, petrol prices rose 91 paise to `107.59 per litre, while diesel prices increased by 94 paise to `94.08 per litre. In Kolkata, petrol climbed to `109.70 per litre, while diesel was priced at `96.07. In Chennai, petrol prices increased by 82 paise to `104.49 per litre, while diesel prices rose by 86 paise to `96.11. On May 15, the three OMCs—Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation—raised fuel prices for the first time in four years citing huge under-recoveries (selling below cost of production/procurement). The conflict in West Asia due to the war between Iran and US has disrupted the movement of cargo through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route that transports nearly 20% of global crude supply. Global crude oil prices have surged by over 50% due to the conflict in the region. Brent crude was trading at $110.9 a barrel. The cumulative hike of `3.90 is still lower than the `10-15 increase expected by many analysts. Reacting to the earlier price hike of `3, the petroleum ministry had on Monday said despite the price revision, OMCs were still losing nearly `750 crore per day by selling petrol, diesel and LPG below cost. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that the under-recoveries of OMCs would cross `2 lakh crore in the first quarter of FY27. The latest round of hikes is expected to further feed into retail inflation. Analysts estimate that the fuel price increase alone could push inflation up by 20-25 basis points in June. E x p r e s s Re a d Indian officer found dead in B’desh mission New Delhi: An Indian official posted at the Assistant High Commission in Chattogram, Bangladesh, was found dead inside the mission premises on Tuesday. Mission officials alerted authorities after protocol officer Narendra Dhar, 35, failed to respond from inside his room on Tuesday | P9 SC reaffirms stray dog order, okays euthanasia New Delhi: The SC on Tuesday allowed authorities to take legally permissible measures, including euthanasia in cases of rabid and dangerous stray dogs, as part of its directions aimed at curbing threats to human life and ensuring public safety | P7 ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ launch on June 1 Bhubaneswar: Union minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday announced that a nationwide ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ will be launched from June 1, with focus on balanced fertiliser use, soil health protection, adoption of modern technologies and farmers’ awareness campaign | P3 J IT E N DRA CHOU B E Y @ New Delhi Just four days after the price hike, the Modi government has once again increased the prices of petrol and diesel. Having set the stage, preaching about savings while shifting the burden of their failures onto the public - this effort is in full swing Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress President The sad thing is that a severe economic storm is coming, which no one can stop, which we have never experienced in our lives Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Even after the recent revision of 91 paise per litre, fuel prices in India have risen by only about 4%, among the lowest increases anywhere in the world outside heavily subsidised Gulf economies Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell head WITH the Iran war triggering a shortage of fertilizers and a spike in prices, the Centre has asked states to consider ammonium sulphate as a substitute for urea in rice cultivation. In a recent communication to state governments, the director-general of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) suggested ammonium sulphate be used for paddy as an affordable option. ICAR comes under the Union agriculture ministry . The rationale behind the move is that while urea is in short supply am, monia sulphate can fill the gap. India has the capacity to manufacture ammonia sulphate. Also, it can be imported from alternative sources such as South Korea, Japan, Belgium, China, and Russia. Till now, India used to import most of its fertilizer requirements from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Israel—all of which are impacted by the war. India manufactures three out of the four key fertilizers—urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of potash (MOP), and complex (combination of N, P K nutrients)—with MOP being , 100% import dependent. But the domestic production is not in sync with the rising demand and imports are crucial to meet the requirements. However, scientists warn against promoting ammonium sulphate in crops. Dr Virender Singh Lather, former principal scientist at ICAR, said high doses of sulphur can be toxic to crops grown in waterlogged and heavy soil conditions, like paddy . No end to mob lynching: Man beaten to death, body burnt in Cuttack village E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Cuttack In yet another incident of mob lynching in the state, a 35-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by a group of villagers on suspicion of practising sorcery and his body subsequently burnt at Talamunduli village under Maniabandha police limits in Cuttack district. Police have arrested 25 people in connection with the ghastly incident. The deceased was identified as Tikima Behera. According to police, the incident took place on May 10 during Chandan Yatra celebrations but came to light only after the victim’s father Sweta Behera (55), who was staying at his in-laws’ house in Gojapada village, learnt about it on Monday night and lodged a complaint. In his FIR, Behera alleged that the accused persons, all residents of Talamunduli village, assaulted his son leading to his death and later burnt the body in an attempt to destroy evidence. Cuttack (Rural) SP Vinit Agrawal said three separate police teams were formed under Athagarh SDPO Biswajit Mohanty to investigate the case. A scientific team examined the spot. Physical samples and other incriminating materials were collected for forensic examination, the SP said. “During sustained interrogation, one of the accused confessed to the crime in the presence of independent witnesses. Based on the disclosure, partially burnt body parts and bones of the deceased were recovered,” Agrawal said. Investigation revealed that Police along with the accused some villagers suspected Tikima of practising sorcery and allegedly conspired to eliminate him. Police said that around 11 pm on May 10, while Chandan Yatra festivities were underway, the accused dragged him out of his house to a village meeting where he was assaulted. While he succumbed to the brutal assault, the accused later burnt the body to erase evidence of the crime. Further investigation is underway police said. , According to locals, the vic- Executive engineer lands in Vig net with landholding of 82 acres E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhawanipatna An executive engineer (EE) of the Roads and Building (R&B) division was found to have acquired 68 plots of land measuring a mindboggling 65 acre and two farmhouses spanning 17 acre when the Odisha Vigilance carried out a search on his premises on Tuesday . Along with other high-value assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, the huge landholding of Bhubaneswar Sabar, the EE of Dharmagarh R&B sub-division, was unearthed by the multiple teams of the anti-corruption wing. Sabar had joined government service in 1999 as a junior engineer and was posted at Sunabeda in Koraput with an initial salary `6,000. During the raids, Sabar was found in possession of two double-storey buildings, one at Gosanimunda in Bhawanipatana town and another at Ku- Sabar’s 9 acre farmhouse; Bhubaneswar Sabar (inset) sumkhunti in Koksara. Vigilance officials also found a building at Dwarasuni, a market complex at Moter chowk in Koksara and two farmhouses at Kitpadar near Bhawanipatana town owned by the engineer. Sabar was found possessing a total of 68 plots on the outskirts of Bhawanipatna, Koksara and Nabarangpur town. Besides, he owned `10.72 lakh deposits, cash and household articles worth around `19.78 lakh and a four-wheeler, said Vigilance. Vigilance officials said simultaneous searches were conducted at six locations of Sabar, also the in-charge EE of Bhawanipatna R&B division, including his office and government quarters at PWD colony in Bhawanipatna besides a two-storey building at his native village Kusumkhunti in Kalahandi’s Koksara. Six teams comprising DSPs, eight inspectors, and other supporting staff conducted the searches on the strength of search warrants issued by the Special Judge, Vigilance at Bhawanipatna. In 2013, Sabar was promoted to the rank of AE and continued at Bhawanipatna. Subsequently, he was promoted to the rank of AEE and was posted to R&B sub-division, Dharmagarh from 2016 to 2024. Sabar was again promoted to the rank of executive engineer in March 2024. He is holding the additional charge of EE, Bhawanipatna R&B division from January 2025. Days before repoll, TMC’s Falta candidate drops out SU B H E N DU MAITI @ Kolkata Just two days before repoll in West Bengal’s violence-hit Falta assembly constituency, Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan, a close aide of party general secretary and MP of Diamond Harbour Abhishek Banerjee, withdrew his candidature, triggering calls for his suspension. Falta is among the seven assembly segments in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency in South 24 Parganas district, Yet no TMC heav- yweight, including Abhishek, went for canvassing there, leaving Khan to fend for himself. For the record, Khan said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s promise of a special package for the area’s development prompted him to take the call. Several TMC MLAs, including Kunal Ghosh, Ritobrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha demanded his suspension. While Suvendu said Khan “ran away as he won’t get any polling agent”, the TMC blamed it on intimidation of party workers, alleging the poll panel “continues to turn a blind eye”. Talking heads Prime Minister Narendra Modi with (from L) his Nordic counterparts Jonas Gahr Støre (Norway), Petteri Orpo (Finland), Ulf Kristersson (Sweden), Kristrún Frostadóttir (Iceland) and Mette Frederiksen (Denmark) during the Nordic-India Summit, in Oslo, Norway on Tuesday. They agreed to elevate their relationship to a Green Technology and Innovation Strategic Partnership | PTI tim was a married man. However, following marital discord, his wife had left him for the last seven years. He had been living along with his elder brother and sister-in-law in their house in the village. His father, though, was staying in his father-in-law’s house at Gojapada, about 1.5 km away from their village. Sources said, on the ill-fated night when the accused persons dragged Tikima out of his house to a village meeting, his elder brother and sister-inlaw remained as mute spectators as they could not muster courage to protest because majority of villagers had united against the former. Even after the brutal murder of Tikima, his elder brother and sister-in-law had not informed police about the incident and preferred to remain silent in fear of the mob retaliation, sources added. US approves follow-on support for Apache, M777s E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi The United States has cleared $428 million worth of sustainment and logistics support for India’s Apache attack helicopters and M777 howitzers, both of which form key elements of the Indian military’s frontline combat capability . According to notifications issued on Tuesday by the US Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the US State Department cleared a $198.2 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) package for follow-on support services for India’s Apache helicopter fleet, along with a separate $230 million package for sustainment support for the M777 ultra-light howitzer system. The Apache package includes engineering, logistics and technical support services, spares, repairs, training, technical publications and other programme-related assistance, with Boeing and Lockheed Martin being the principal contractors. India had signed a government-to-government deal with the US in September 2015 for 22 AH-64E Apaches for the Indian Air Force under a contract worth around $2.1 billion. They were delivered between 2019 and 2020 and are primarily deployed at Pathankot and Jorhat. Subsequently in February 2020, India , signed another contract worth around $800 million for six AH64E Apaches for the Army Aviation Corps. Deliveries, delayed due to supply-chain disruptions, began in 2025, with the helicopters assigned to an Army aviation squadron at Jodhpur. In a separate notification, the US announced the approval of sustainment support for the M777s — part of a $737 million deal signed in November 2016. Day after brazen public assault of couple in Berhampur, criminals still at large E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Berhampur Twenty-four hours after the brutal assault of a couple in full public glare in Berhampur, it has emerged that it was meticulously planned by the gang of anti-socials who cordoned off the Giri Road area while police remained completely clueless. Even as the incident sent shockwaves and drew widespread outrage, the criminals continued to evade police while Umesh Ratha, the victim, has been shifted to Visakhapatnam in a critical condition. Police claimed both the attackers and the victim have criminal backgrounds and shared a hostile past. Umesh (23) of Gosaninua- gaon had gone to a roadside eatery along with his fiancée Gayatri when around eight persons arrived at the spot. Six of them reportedly surrounded the area and two began assaulting him. The incident unfolded in a crowded commercial area but not one person intervened. The attackers fled after leaving Umesh and his fiancée un- conscious at the spot. Police reached the scene after the whole incident had passed and shifted both the victims to MKCG Medical College and Hospital. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M visited the spot as well as the hospital. Umesh’s mother lodged a complaint at Town police station late on Monday night, following which a case was regis- tered against five persons who are currently absconding. The accused are Mogli, Raj Malhotra, Dinesh, Mahesh Sahu and his brother Asish, police said. Multiple police teams have been formed to trace and arrest the accused. CCTV footage from the area is being examined and raids are underway at several Continued on P5 locations.