bhubaneswar l Wednesday l July 08, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l jeypore EDITION Govt to ask refiners to cut lpg production to pre-war levels With the West Asia situation stabilising, the Centre is likely to direct oil companies to scale back domestic LPG production to pre-crisis levels move follows easing of supply pressures ceasefire helps restore lpg imports The move comes after supply concerns triggered by the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the US began to ease. According to sources, Indian refineries have started reducing domestic LPG production to 40,000 metric tonnes per day. During the peak of the crisis, both public and private refiners increased output to a record 54,000 metric tonnes per day ■ ■ Strait of Hormuz handles nearly 40% of India’s crude oil imports, 60% of its LNG imports and about 90% of its LPG imports LPG was the worst-hit fuel as India imports nearly 60% of its domestic requirement. With a ceasefire in place, shipping through the strategic waterway has resumed, restoring normal LPG imports 33 crore households across the country use Domestic LPG 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 India, Indonesia expand strategic partnership Screengrabs from a CCTV footage showing people running for their lives as the landslide strikes Wayanad, Kerala | Express Landslip at Wayanad tunnel road site kills 3 L esly J o seph @ Meppadi a landslip at the twin-tunnel road project near Kalladi Meenakshi Bridge in Wayanad on Tuesday claimed three lives, left at least seven persons missing, and ignited a political and legal storm. While heavy monsoon rains triggered the initial slope instability, residents and local representatives termed it a “man-made disaster”, blaming corporate negligence and a complete failure of regulatory oversight. The victims have been iden- tified as Chandra Ban, an operator from Madhya Pradesh; Bikash Kumar, a civil foreman from Bihar; and Anmol, a worker from Jharkhand. The collapse occur red around 11 am, sending a massive torrent of liquefied mud, rocks and construction debris crashing onto the Meppadi– Chooralmala road. The deluge buried the Meenakshi Bridge, engulfed a private bus and flattened a roadside eatery where workers had gathered. Nine labourers were pulled from the sludge and rushed to hospital. Two of them are in Ronaldo’s WC dream over as Spain, Belgium advance Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s WC quest ends at the hands of Spain while Belgium make lightwork of US. A look at what transpired in Monday’s games... Spain too good for Portugal Spain hardly gave Portugal a sniff before scoring the game’s solitary goal in the stoppage time. Ronaldo, in his last World Cup, was hardly involved as the match appeared to pass him by without the 41-year-old influencing it in any way La Roja vs France in semis? If results hold, then the two European superpowers will face each other for a place in the final. But it won’t be straightforward for them as France face Morocco and Spain have to play Belgium in the last eight stages Belgium blow away US After a controversy over Folarin Balogun’s suspension of the red card, the 2018 semifinalists blew the co-hosts away 4-1 in a supreme show of strength. After the game, they also trolled FIFA for their role in the controversy. “Overturn this,” they posted on their socials PM recalls Biju Babu’s rescue mission, Balijatra’s Indonesia link Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday invoked Odisha’s enduring historical and cultural links with Indonesia and paid tribute to former chief minister Biju Patnaik for his role in Indonesia’s freedom movement | P3 critical condition. At the heart of the growing outrage is the dumping of tens of thousands of tonnes of excavated earth by the tunnel project’s contractor, Dilip Buildcon, operating under the supervision of the Konkan Railway Corporation. “I had a miraculous escape. I saw the massive soil sliding down and ran for my life,” said local resident Hamsa Manthikkara. “The company had piled up the excavated soil at the site. Though concrete retaining Jakarta to procure two batteries of BrahMos cruise missile system, Astra air-to-air missile A bus stuck in debris after falling into a rivulet near the Meppadi tunnel project site at Kalladi in Wayanad, where the massive landslide struck | Vincent Pulickal walls were built around the heaps, we had warned they were inadequate,” he said. Chief Minister V D Satheesan said a string of official warnings issued more than a fortnight before the landslip went unheeded. “On June 20, the district collector directed the contractor to remove the excavated soil. The disaster management authority issued a similar order, and the PWD minister also instructed the contractor to clear the soil. None of these directives was complied with,” the CM said. The Konkan Railway Corporation has ordered an inquiry but maintained that incessant rain triggered the collapse. Dilip Buildcon said the project complied with all engineering, safety and environmental norms, and protocols. Local leaders said the suspension of drilling work due to rains averted a bigger tragedy as more than 100 workers , were off the site. A 60-member team of NDRF, along with Fire Force personnel, is undertaking a block-by-block clearance P5 of the mud. Heavy rains Govt orders crop loss survey, assures early compensation tered vast stretches of agricultural land, triggering fear over damage to standing crops in the With low pressure-induced event of further rain. heavy rainfall inundating vast Jajpur district has also retracts of agricultural land in ported at least two breaches in several districts, the state gov- the embankment of the Kani ernment has directed officials to river, a distributary of the immediately assess crop dam- Baitarani, at Kantapada in age and ensure compensation Dasarathpur block, leading to reaches affected farmsubmerge of nearby agers without delay . ricultural fields. Flood water has inundated Revenue and Disasparts of Mangalpur, ter Management Duduraanta, Shushua, (R&DM) minister As of now, there Suresh Pujari instruct- has been no report Kanikapada and other low-lying areas. Heavy ed district administraof crop damage. rain also inundated agtions in the affected arHowever, collectors will riculture land in a few eas to conduct survey, assess the extent of assess any loss to areas in Kendrapara standing crops district. Water Recrop loss and submit reports to the depart- and submit their sources engineer-inreport soon chief Dillip Kumar ment at the earliest. Rout said the situation “As of now, there has Rajes P Patil, SRC is under control as the been no report of any rains have subsided. crop damage. However, collectors of rain-affected dis- Water level of Baitarani river at tricts will assess if there has both Anandapur and Akhuapabeen any loss to standing crops da is below the danger mark. “We are keeping a close watch and submit their report,” said special relief commissioner on the situation across districts. Rains have also not caused flood (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil. The SRC said instruction has threat in any other river sysalso been given for disburse- tems in the state,” he said. On Hirakud, he said the ment of compensation to affectdam’s water level is currently ed farmers within 24 hours of about 2-3 ft lower than the corthe damage assessment. As per reports, heavy down- responding period last year. If pour has impacted Muribahal it increases, some sluice gates and Bangomunda of Balangir may be opened on July 9, he CONTINUED ON P7 where water has reportedly en- said. E x press N e w s S er v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Gajapati halts animation film on Mahaprabhu E x press N e w s S er v i c e @ Puri The release of an animation film ‘Mahaprabhu Jagannath’ has been put on hold after Puri Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb, chairperson of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, raised objections to its content. The film, produced by Bhubaneswar-based M/S Ele Animation Pvt. Ltd, was slated for release on July 10. It was screened at the auditorium of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration office in the presence of members of the Jagannath Cult Propagation and Preaching Sub-committee. The producer and directors of the film were also present during the screening. Following the screening, the Gajapati said the film contained several imaginary incidents that were not in keeping with the religious traditions associated with Lord Jagannath. While welcoming efforts to make films on Shree Jagannath, he said such productions should be based on the deity’s religious history and widely accepted legends. Observing that the film requires changes, the Puri king directed the producers to recast its content before its release. The producer assured the temple authorities that the necessary corrections would be made. The revised version of the film will be screened again before members of the temple body for review, the Gajapati told mediapersons.  J ayanth J a c o b @ New Delhi India and Indonesia on Tuesday significantly expanded their strategic partnership, with Jakarta agreeing to procure two batteries of India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system in a deal worth about $200 million, alongside Astra air-to-air missile systems, as the two countries unveiled an ambitious roadmap covering defence, maritime security, critical minerals, technology digital connectivity and , resilient supply chains. The agreements were announced after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta during the first leg of Modi’s three-nation Indo-Pacific tour, which will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. The defence component marks another milestone in India’s push to become a major exporter of indigenous military hardware. A BrahMos battery typically comprises four launchers and 12 ready-to-fire missiles, along with commandand-control systems, support equipment and specialised vehicles, though configurations vary depending on whether the system is deployed for land attack or coastal defence. Sources said Indonesia has also decided to procure India’s Astra beyond-visual-range airto-air missiles following their operational performance during Operation Sindoor. The agreements also envisage wider collaboration in defence manufacturing and technology transfers, reflecting a shift from a buyerseller relationship towards longterm industrial ties. Addressing a joint media interaction, Modi described the Pic: PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred Indonesia’s highest civilian honour by President Prabowo Subianto outcomes as a golden chapter in bilateral ties. “The growing trust between our two countries has strengthened cooperation in defence, security and the maritime domain,” he said. The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. President Prabowo echoed the sentiment. A major economic outcome was an agreement to deepen cooperation in critical minerals, with India set to invest in Indonesia’s steel, nickel and rare earth magnet manufacturing ecosystems, as New Delhi seeks to diversify strategic mineral supply chains. The two countries also agreed to jointly develop the strategically located Sabang Port near the Strait of Malacca and expand cooperation in the blue economy and maritime infrastructure. Modi announced that IIM Bangalore would establish a campus in Indonesia, while UPI will be integrated with Indonesia’s payment system to facilitate cross-border transactions. express read Odisha’s forest cover up by 558 sq km: CM Will overhaul Ram temple mgmt, says trust Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday said the state has recorded an increase of 558 sq km in forest and tree cover over past two years, making it the third best performing state in the country in expanding green cover. Addressing the state-level Van Mahotsav at Kapileswar here, Majhi asserted that economic development and environmental conservation are complementary to each other and called for mass participation in afforestation to tackle climate change and rising temperatures | P2 Lucknow: Contemplating a comeplete overhaul, especially after alleged donation embezzlement of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is set to appoint a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to spruce up administrative oversight. Temple trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri Maharaj said it was imperative to appoint a professional to oversee temple’s affairs admitting that the absence of professional supervision contributed to the lapses | P10 J’khand bank’s KYC delay kills 75-yr-old HC upholds death for 38 in Ahmedabad serial blasts case MU K E S H R A N J A N @ Ranchi IN a tragic incident that has s p a rk e d o u t r a g e a c r o s s Jharkhand, a 75-year-old ailing man died after being repeatedly denied access to his own pension money due to pending KYC formalities at a rural bank. Ratan Lakra, a resident of Bargarh village in Garhwa district, passed away on Monday after struggling for months to withdraw funds from his account at the Bargarh branch of Jharkhand Gramin Bank. The money, primarily his govern- ment pension, was needed for urgent medical treatment. His family maintained Lakra had been making repeated trips to the bank for three months at the manager’s insistence to complete the KYC process. E ve n a f t e r h e w a s brought to the branch in an auto-rickshaw, officials allegedly turned them away. His daughter-in-law, Phoolmani Lakra, said that on one occasion, the manager ordered a peon to drag them out. “My father-in-law was ill and could not get the required treatment because the bank didn’t give him his own money she said. ,” Heartbroken family members and villagers staged a protest by placing Lakra’s body at the rural bank’s entrance, refusing to cremate him until action was taken. Chief Minister Hemant Soren promptly ordered an investigation. In a post on X, he directed the Garhwa Deputy Commissioner to “promptly investigate the matter, take strict action, and inform.” DC Pashupati Nath Mishra directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to conduct a detailed probe, and warned of action against those found guilty . D I L I P S I N G H K S H AT R I YA @ Ahmedabad THE Gujarat High Court on Tuesday upheld the Ahmedabad Sessions Court’s ruling in the 2008 serial bomb blasts case, confirming the death sentence for 38 members of the banned Indian Mujahideen and life imprisonment for 11 others. A division bench of Justices A Y Kogje and Samir Dave rejected the appeals filed by the convicts against the capital punishment awarded by the lower court in February 2022. The HC directed the Gu- The Gujarat government is directed to pay `10 lakh to the family of every deceased victim, `5 lakh to each seriously injured survivor, and `1 lakh to those who suffered minor injuries - Court order jarat government to pay `10 lakh to the family of every deceased victim, `5 lakh to each seriously injured survivor, and `1 lakh to those who suffered minor injuries. The compensation must be paid before March 31, 2027. The verdict comes 18 years after 21 coordinated blasts at 20 locations ripped through Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, killing 56 and injuring more than 200 people. The case remains one of India’s biggest criminal prosecutions. Out of 78 accused who faced trial, the trial court convicted 49 persons, acquitted 29, sentenced 38 to death, and awarded life imprisonment till natural death to 11 convicts. The probe into the serial blasts was unprecedented in scale. Police registered 35 FIRs, filed 548 charge sheets, produced around 6,000 documentary and material exhibi t s, a n d e x a m i n e d 1 , 1 6 3 witnesses. The Sessions Court’s judgment ran into nearly 7,000 pages, while the complete paper book exceeded 7.88 lakh pages, making it one of the largest criminal case records in India. Lawyers representing the accused said they would challenge the HC’s decision in the Supreme Court after reviewing the full judgment.