visakhapatnam l thursday l july 02, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION Indigo launches ‘lite fare’ for flyers with only cabin baggage IndiGo has introduced an entry-level ‘Lite’ fare for passengers travelling on both domestic and international flights with only cabin baggage Available when booking directly with airline weeks after Air India’s ‘basic fare’ launch Lite fare can be availed when booking tickets directly with the airline including the website, mobile application and contact centre. The low fare option will be applicable for both domestic and international nonstop routes for adult and child passengers, the airline said in a statement. It will be available only for economy class passengers ■ ■ “Customers will enjoy a lower base price with an auto-assigned seat at no additional cost, and a cabin bag allowance of up to 7 kgs,” the airline, operated by InterGlobe Aviation, said in a statement It comes weeks after Tata Group’s Air India introduced its own basic fare, where it gave the option to opt out from complimentary meal 2,100 Flights operated daily by Indigo, which is India’s largest airline 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 Mexico break knockout curse Mbappe show in NYNJ At the rate Les Bleus are going, the others may as well stop bothering right now. Against Sweden, they dazzled with Kylian Mbappe adding two more goals to his tally. He’s now level with Lionel Messi with six. Michael Olise also sparkled with two more assists In front of a heaving Azteca, Mexico were all over Ecuador like a rash and scored the goals to take them to the last 16. It was their first knockout win at the World Cup in 40 years and the residents emptied out on to the streets to celebrate the landmark. With them playing the last 16 game also at the Azteca, there’s promise of more glory Kane and able England survive Congo Harry Kane scored two second-half goals to help England rally for a 2-1 win over DR Congo and a spot in the round of 16 on Wednesday. England’s all-time leading scorer and captain helped team to evade one of the biggest upsets in World Cup after trailing in first half Bill to axe arrested CM may be back Controversial Constitution Amendment Bill may figure in the Monsoon session R a j es h K u m a r T h a k u r @ New Delhi Today’s matches: Spain vs Austria: 12.30 AM*, Portugal vs Croatia 4.30 AM*, Switzerland vs Algeria 8.30 AM* ( IST Friday) MAVIGUN vs Amaravati’ in next elections, says Jagan S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada YSRCP chief and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday reaffirmed his party’s alternative capital vision, announcing that the party would firmly stick to its Machilipatnam-VijayawadaGuntur (MAVIGUN) corridor proposal as its primary poll plank. He declared that the next Assembly elections would be a straight referendum on ‘MAVIGUN versus Amaravati’. “We will see how much support the public gives us,” Jagan said, asserting that the coastal corridor model is a fitting alternative to the Amaravati project, which he alleged is marked by rampant corruption and exorbitant costs. He said the MAVIGUN proposal has natural advantages and ready-made infrastructure. He said the proposal would be officially incorporated into the party’s election campaign and manifesto. However, he declined to comment on his earlier three-capitals proposal when asked by reporters. Launching a sharp attack on the ruling NDA coalition’s capital expenditure, Jagan accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of orchestrating a real estate scam under the guise of development. He pointed to what he described as stark financial disparities, claiming that while the Central government constructs office buildings at `4,645 per sq. ft., the State government is spending an exorbitant `20,439 per sq. ft. on a 52 lakh sq. ft. Secretariat. “In cities like Hyderabad or Bengaluru, even five-star construction costs only `4,500 per sq. ft.,” Jagan claimed, adding that Amaravati’s internal roads are being built at `53 crore per kilometre, compared with the standard national highway cost of `24 crore per kilometre. E x p r e s s Re a d 2.45 lakh candidates qualify in AP EAPCET Vijayawada: A total of 2,45,863 candidates qualified in AP EAPCET-2026, including 1,82,317 in engineering and 63,546 in agriculture and pharmacy. Of the 3,29,474 candidates who appeared, 74.62% qualified. The results were announced on Wednesday by JNTUK | P3 CM lays foundation for Hero MotoCorp plant Vijayawada: CM N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday laid foundation stone for Hero MotoCorp Global Parts Centre (GPC) 2.0 at Madannapalem village in Varadaiahpalem mandal of Tirupati district. The new facility will be set up with investment of `750 crore | P4 ‘Just a minute enough to jail YSRCP lealders, but...’: Naidu E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ Nellore Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday issued a stern warning to YSRCP workers and leaders over abusive social media campaigns and online trolling targeting women, judges and coalition leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan. Demanding accountability , he instructed the authorities to take firm legal action against those violating the law. He asserted that it takes one minute to arrest YSRCP leaders involved in such offences, but maintained that his government is committed to development rather than political vendetta. Naidu said the State government has been focusing on climate resilience, infrastructure development, industrial growth and good governance, while accusing the Opposition of attempting to obstruct development through misinformation and divisive politics. Addressing a public meeting at Punnapuvaaripalem in the Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu interacts with a pension beneficiary during the Pedalaku Sevalo programme in Guduru constituency of Nellore district on Monday | Express district, the Chief Minister said the impact of the El Niño phenomenon has been severe across the world, leading to a significant decline in rainfall. He noted that Europe is currently experiencing extreme heatwaves and recalled that Andhra Pradesh had adopted measures such as spraying water on roads in cities, including Vijayawada, during the sum- Road accident cases SC firms up ITR yardstick for compensation S UCHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY @ New Delhi In an attempt to bring uniformity in motor accident compensation cases, the Supreme Court on Wednesday framed guidelines for determining annual income of the deceased or injured claimants based on their income tax returns (ITR). “ITRs are statutory records and carry a presumption of correctness. In case of salaried individuals, income does not fluctuate significantly making the latest ITR the most accu, rate reflection. For self-employed persons, earnings vary so , a three-year average ensures a realistic assessment,” said a two-judge bench of justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh. The bench observed that while no straitjacket formula can be fixed for computing income under the Motor Vehicles Act, a distinction must be drawn — in these accidental claims cases — between the salaried employees and self-employed Factoring in persons when relying on ITRs for promotion compensation. The verdict came on an appeal by an In cases where a insurance firm challenging a high court promotion or pay order that had fixed the deceased’s in- revision had come by picking the highest ITR from the taken place last five years. Disapproving the method, shortly before the the bench said selecting the highest re- accident and was turn in isolation would result in inflated not reflected in the ITR, courts awards and unfairly burden insurers. The court further said tribunals could could consider deviate from ITRs if a particular year re- promotion letters flected exceptional income due to one- and other records time gains or abnormal losses. Where ITRs are not filed, it said, courts may rely on Form 26AS, bank statements or salary slips, but must record reasons for doing so. The bench also said fluctuation in income of selfemployed victims needs to be factored in. It could arise from the nature of the business, growth pattern and impact of death on the business and its potential growth. The court directed its registry to circulate the guidelines to all Motor Accident Claims Tribunals and high courts across the country to ensure uniform application in pending and future matters. mer to reduce the impact of high temperatures. Similar measures, he said, are now being implemented in Europe. Chandrababu Naidu said that although there has been little inflow into the Godavari and Krishna rivers so far this year, reservoirs are still holding around 65 percent of their capacity due to abundant rainfall and timely storage last year. The Chief Minister said the conflict in West Asia has pushed up petrol and diesel prices, making it most essential to promote ethanol as an alternative fuel. Naidu urged farmers to cultivate crops such as maize, which are required for ethanol production, saying it could provide them with new income opportunities. The Chief Minister also announced that the foundation stone for the Rayalaseema Steel Plant in Kadapa would be laid on Thursday and expressed the confidence that steel production would commence by the P4 year 2028.  Re-NEET had 2 lakh fewer candidates than first exam Legislative priority Apart from the bill to disqualify PMs, CMs and ministers, the govt is expected to accord priority to a limited number of other bills during the Monsoon Session, including the Women’s Reservation Bill, indicating a focused legislative agenda on major policy initiatives Opposition boycott Members of main Opposition parties like the Congress, Trinamool Congress, SP, DMK and the Left boycotted the panel. However, the NCP (Sharad Pawar), AIMIM and other fencesitters such as the BJD, YSRCP and SAD participated in the committee S L a l i t h a @ New Delhi The contentious 130th Constitution Amendment Bill on disqualifying prime ministers and chief ministers could be back in Parliament as its vetting by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is about to be over. The government is said to be keen on piloting the bill that was first introduced last year, for possible passage in the forthcoming Monsoon Session. The session is expected from July 20 but not later than July 27. As per the proposed amendment, offices of the PM and CMs would automatically fall vacant if the incumbent remains in judicial custody for more than 30 days without bail. The government maintains that the measure is intended to strengthen accountability and reinforce public confidence in the holders of high constitutional offices. Opposition parties, however, have expressed serious reservations, arguing that the proposal could have far-reaching constitutional and political consequences, particularly in cases where judicial proceedings remain unresolved. They have also questioned its compatibility with established constitutional principles, particularly the presumption of innocence till proved guilty . The bill was referred to a 31-member JPC chaired by former IAS officer-turnedpolitician and BJP MP Aprajita Sarangi. The panel is expected to finalise its report before the Monsoon Session. Led by the Congress, the Opposition boycotted the JPC, contending that participation would serve no meaningful purpose. The ruling NDA, however, rejected those objections and defended the JPC’s functioning, arguing that the bill was the need of hour. The bill is now expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha. Sources indicated that it figures prominently in the legislative agenda for the upcoming session. More than two lakh students who took the May 3 NEET-UG did not appear for the subsequent retest held on June 21, according to the National Testing Agency’s initial estimates. A total of 22,05,035 candidates appeared for the first exam, while the retest had about 20 lakh candidates, a 9% dip. The National Testing Agency (NTA) officials said the exact figures are being compiled. Meanwhile, as many as 21 students took their lives in the period between the first test and the retest. Experts in the field of education pointed to the mental trauma of the paper leak and a lack of trust in the examination process owing to the leak. Sources at the NTA, however, cited changed circumstances or practical reasons. “A good number of aspirants also take up the JEE examination (decider for engineering colleges) and the JEE-Advanced exam for admission into IITs. If they did well in it, they could have decided to give up on the medical dreams,” an NTA source said. A few aspirants also apply to institutions abroad and could have decided to opt out, as studying abroad is viewed by most Indians as very prestigious, the source added. Another source said, after the answer keys of the original exam were released on May 6, some aspirants may have felt that they are just not cut out for this kind of strenuous exam. Horror at B’luru IT firm’s daycare centre as toddlers tortured, 5 booked E XPR E S S N E W S S E RVIC E @ Bengaluru IN a horrific incident, toddlers were allegedly subjected to physical abuse at a daycare centre located inside an IT company campus in HAL police limits. The caregivers allegedly placed children inside a washing machine, sprayed water into their mouths using toilet jet sprays, and locked them inside a washroom as punishment for crying. According to the FIR registered at HAL police station on June 29, based on a complaint filed by an official of the District Child Protection Unit, Bengaluru East, the incident occurred at Society General Staff being questioned, videos analysed: Police Police registered an FIR against the daycare in-charge and four caregivers under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. Police are questioning the accused women and verifying the authenticity of the videos, when the incidents occurred, and how many children were subjected to similar abuse Baby Care, a daycare facility operating on the Capgemini Technology Services India campus in Brookefield, where employees of the IT company leave their children during working hours. The complaint stated that the Child Helpline received videos showing children being subjected to mental and physical abuse by daycare caregivers Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu and Bindu. It is alleged that whenever the children cried or created a disturbance, the caregivers intimidated them by placing them inside a front loading washing machine, making them sit inside a Western-style toilet commode, forcefully spraying water into their mouths using the health faucet, locking them inside bathrooms, and subjecting them to other forms of physical abuse. According to the videos, more than 15 toddlers aged between two and four years were present at the daycare. `1.95l CR HIGHER IMPORT REVENUE BUOYS JUNE GST NUMBERS GST collections rose 14% year-on-year to `1.95 lakh crore in June on the back of higher tax mop-up from imports as well as domestic supplies. GST revenues were over `1.94 lakh crore in May this year and `1.71 lakh crore in June 2025 | P10 AP net GST collections rise 21% to `3.1K cr in June S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh recorded 16% growth in Commercial Taxes collections in June 2026 (`664 crore, higher than in June 2025), continuing the strong performance seen in April and May 2026 and rounding off an excellent first quarter of FY 2026-27. Cumulatively, total collections for the first quarter (up to June 2026) rose to `15,323 crore from `12,480 crore a year earlier - a 22.78% growth - led by Net GST, which grew 25.07% (from `7,978 crore to `9,978 crore), alongside a 21.28% rise in VAT on petroleum products. Building on the 6% cumulative growth achieved in FY 2025-26, the Commercial Taxes Department has maintained its trajectory of disciplined revenue mobilisation. Net GST collections for June 2026 rose 21.35% year-on-year, from `2,591 crore in June 2025 to `3,144 crore. Net GST accrues to the State and reflects consumption within it. In a release issued on Wednesday, Chief Commissioner of State Tax Babu A informed that the increase is driven by improved tax compliance, stronger enforcement, enhanced rev- Strong revenue growth Net GST Collections: `3,144 crore for June 2026 Year-on-Year Growth: 21.35% vs June 2025, reflecting continued improvement in compliance and administrative effectiveness IGST Settlement: `1898 crore (38.99% YoY) Petroleum VAT: `1531.18 crore (6.63% YoY) Professional Tax: `53.12 crore - bolstered by Aadhaar link, expanded taxpeyr base enue monitoring and broader economic activity . This growth was achieved against a challenging backdrop of the GST 2.0 rate rationalisation reforms, which simplify the tax structure and ease compliance costs for businesses. New initiatives introduced during the year - AI-based data analytics, AIpowered scrutiny AI, based IGST reversals, UPI-based analytics enforcement, DISCOM-linked registration verification and Aadhaar-integrated expansion of Profession Tax generated significant incremental revenue, strengthening P4 June 2026 collections.