COIMBATORE  SUNDAY  AUGUST 30, 2026  `12.00  PAGES 24  LATE CITY EDITION DEAL WITH VENEZUELA TO TAKE CONTROL OF OIL RESERVES: DON President Donald Trump said the US has entered a deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels oil reserves of the country 9 MONTHS AFTER MADURO’S CAPTURE Trump in a social media post announced the agreement he said was negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez. The announcement of the deal comes nearly nine months after the US armed forces captured Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro ■ 1% WILL LOWER GAS PRICES IN U.S.: RUBIO ■ Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 303 billion barrels of crude oil. That’s about 17 per cent of the world’s supply, according to the US Energy Administration Rubio said on X the agreement would usher in $100 billion in private investment into Venezuela and lead to lower gas prices in US OF WORLD’S OIL OUTPUT COMES OFF VENEZUELA DESPITE VAST RESERVES 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 HDFC Bank boss on way out, won’t seek reappointment B E N N K O C H U V E E D A N @ Mumbai Residents carry their belongings salvaged from their flood-hit homes in Nepal’s Devighat area on Saturday | AP WITH THIS ISSUE PRIVATE EYE PLUS 12 P AGES EXPRESS READ GEM group chief held in Pocso case Chennai: The Chennai police on Saturday held 85-year-old R Veeramani, chairman of GEM Group, and two others under Pocso Act over the alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl at a house in Teynampet. The case was registered 11 months ago, sources said Stalin’s security cover down to Z Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Police has reduced former chief minister M K Stalin’s security cover from ‘Z+’ to ‘Z’ following a periodic security review, officials said. Security for VIPs and VVIPs are reviewed every six months based on threat perception and protection needs | P4 Durai told to take test in PMLA case Madurai: A Special Court for CBI cases has directed Durai Dayanidhi, son of former Union minister MK Alagiri, to undergo medical test at JIPMER Hospital to determine his mental capability to face trial in a `256 crore laundering case | P4 Toll 675, India steps up rescue, forensic support 88 Indians rescued in Nepal so far; 128 PIOs reported missing E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ New Delhi INDIA on Saturday stepped up rescue and relief assistance to Nepal following the devastating flash floods, with 88 Indian nationals rescued so far while 287 remained uncontactable. Four Indian nationals were rescued from a hydropower project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district and are expected to reach Kathmandu shortly , the External Affairs Ministry said. Besides, 128 persons of Indian origin (PIOs) are missing. As many as 120 Indian nationals crossed into Nepal from China on Saturday the , MEA said. India is also deploying specialised expertise to support Nepal’s search and identification efforts. Six forensic expert teams from India are expected to reach Kathmandu to assist Nepalese authorities in analysing DNA samples and identifying mortal remains. “Forensic expert teams from India (six) are expected to reach Kathmandu today to assist in analysis of DNA samples for identification of mortal remains,” the MEA said. India has also moved to bolster tunnel-rescue operations in the floodhit areas. An Indian technical team for tunnel-rescue reconnaissance reached Kathmandu on Friday Based . on its assessment, a specialised tunnel-rescue team equipped with necessary equipment is in Nepal. The Indian assistance comes as Nepal m o u n t s a m a s s ive search and rescue operation across the worst-affected districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Relief supplies being Dhading and Chitwan. delivered by drone at Nepal Foreign Minis- Devighat in Nepal | PTI ter Shisir Khanal said the government had mobilised all available resources following the August 26 flash floods. “Our immediate priority remains clear: to save lives, locate missing persons, rescue them, provide urgent relief to survivors,” Khanal said. So far, 675 bodies — 246 from Chitawan, 165 from Nawalparasi East, 63 from Nawalparasi West, 57 from Gorkha, 45 from Dhading, 51 from Nuwakot, 35 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa district — have been recovered and around 2,400 people remain uncontactable, while more than 4,450 people, including over 187 foreign nationals, have been rescued. Khanal said the figures could change as search and verification operations continue. 10 bodies from Nepal recovered in UP’s Gandak N A M I TA B A J PA I @ Lucknow AT least 10 bodies have been recovered from river Gandak in eastern UP in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts over the past two days, with authorities yet to identify the deceased or trace their families. Originating from Nepal, Gandak flows into India. Official sources said all 10 were natives of Nepal and were adults. The bodies were bloated and in an advanced state of decomposition. They were taken to mortuaries in Maharajganj and Kushinagar, where they would be kept for 72 hours, said the district administration River brings in authorities. vehicles, drums The details of jewelGandak is also lery and other belongbringing other items, ings found on the bodincluding vehicles, ies were recorded along household goods, with distinctive physigas cylinders, cal features such as tatdrums, toos and other identifyfurniture, logs ing marks. Photographs and other of the deceased have debris also been circulated in apparently nearby areas. from Nepal. According ADM MaVillagers were seen harajganj, four of the gathering along the bodies — three women river to retrieve the and a young man — articles being washed had been found in the ashore district. “If no one comes forward during the next 72-hour period, further action will be taken in accordance with government guidelines,” Kumar said. In Kushinagar, six bodies — three men and three women— were recovered from Gandak. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and the flood battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary are working alongside the district administration and police in the affected areas of Maharajganj and Kushinagar. However, as per official sources, immediate flood threat has eased as water levels has receded. However, residents were advised to stay away from rivers and low-lying areas for now. SASHIDHAR Jagdishan, chief executive and managing director of HDFC Bank, who was handpicked by the bank’s founding CEO Aditya Puri to succeed him in 2020, has decided not to seek reappointment when his current term ends in October, bringing to an end his nearly three-decade career with the country’s largest private sector bank. “Despite persuasion, Jagdishan reiterated his decision to not seek reappointment when his term ends on October 26, 2026. The board deeply appreciates his commitment, leadership, contribution to the growth and stability of the bank and his role in the successful completion of one of the @ Tirunelveli THREE sons of a weaver, all students of Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) in their native Vellanguli village, will soon become doctors as they have secured MBBS and BDS seats after clearing NEET this year. While the elder brother, R Venkata Sri, appeared for the test for the fourth time, his twin younger brothers, R Arun and R Tharan, have realised their dream in their second attempt. Arun and Tharan will join the Tirunelveli Government Medical College and a private medi- The brothers R Arun, R Tharan and R Venkata Sri | EXPRESS cal college in Coimbatore, respectively Venkata Sri will join . a private dental college in Kanniyakumari district. All three have secured their seats under the 7.5% reservation for government-school students. Speaking to TNIE, the trio expressed happiness at securing medical seats with the support of their teachers and parents. “Becoming doctors has been our childhood dream. Our elder brother Venkata Sri’s per- severance encouraged us. He had been attempting to clear NEET after completing Plus Two at our village school in 2022-23. We also decided to follow in his footsteps after completing our schooling last year. It’s a great moment for us to have secured medical seats the same year,” said the twins. Their father, S Ramkumar, said that he had pledged to support his children financially despite the hardship of running his family on a meagre income. “I only have to pay the government-prescribed fee as my sons have secured seats under the government quota,” he added. | P5 Several people familiar with the matter of resignation of non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty’s decision attributed it to ‘differences’ with Jagdishan over the extent of the chairman’s role in the bank’s functioning. largest mergers in corporate India,” the bank informed the stock exchanges on Saturday . The board has now fasttracked the process of finding his successor, it added. Jagdishan’s biggest achievement at the bank was arguably the merger of parent Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) with HDFC Bank in July 2023. Valued at around $44 billion, the trans- PUBLIC ALTERCATION Cong fires Kerala leader who blocked CM’s convoy Max 0 Min 36 C 0 27 C ast Er y Sunda 02 30 08 l l @ Thiruvananthapuram THE Congress on Saturday expelled Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee leader Anil Kumar alias Chenthi Ani from the party’s primary membership, hours after he was booked for blocking Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s motorcade. On Saturday morning, Sreekaryam Police arrested Ani for blocking the CM’s convoy and misbehaving with him for refusing to attend the Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi celebrations at Chenthi the previous night. Satheesan was on his way to Chempazhanthy to attend the event. On the way, a group of people organising another Sree Narayana Guru event at Chenthi signalled the CM’s vehicle to stop, police said. Satheesan stepped out of the vehicle following their request and was RSS CHIEF’S ADDRESS IN THE U.S. Mohan Bhagwat to speak at event titled ‘Universal Oneness Celebrations’, is an invitebased gathering which will have more than 5,000 attendees 7.5% quota Twins Arun & Tharan will join the Tirunelveli Govt Medical College and a private college in Coimbatore, respectively. Venkata Sri will join a private dental college in Kanniyakumari. They secured the seats under the 7.5% quota for government school students seen in television visuals arguing with Ani. After a few minutes at the spot, Satheesan returned to his vehicle and left, police said. Police said no event at Chenthi was listed in the CM’s schedule, and filed an FIR against Ani. “The accused confronted the CM in an aggressive manner. When asked to refrain from being aggressive, the accused alle gedly threatened, ‘What will you do if I get angry?’, insulting the CM and obstructing the official duties of police personnel accompanying the convoy the FIR said. ,” A court sent Ani to 14 days in custody Police said he had been . accused earlier in multiple cases of attacking people at Sreekaryam, Thumba and Medical College. KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the party’s stance is clear through the disciplinary action. Sunrise Sunset 06:02 am 06:26 pm Moonrise Moonset 07:53 pm 08:28 am nature one walk with seeks In every than he far more receive s John Muir and of the villages were Aerial view landscap e that r ral agricultu propose d Parandu in part of the airport projectExpRESS ld greenfie puram district | Kanchee 2026 re vello kaM Mbak GunaGara kkaM Edayarpa raM valaThur akkaMapu anGalaM dEviM Maha aM Ekanapur i SinGilipad Wetland Waterbody nt resettleme site ayS runW randur Pa f a land oeaMS r broken d in the ed by Dalits title the be irrigat ues to the divide amongvillage. the state, contin hting workers in ed a sharp , highlig region and the farm t had trigger once sold s ed airpor . Parcels thatng nearly holder prices fetchi ing The propos local landa cent were `3,000, accord rise in ng `250 the for about some touchi broker. land had not been The with t. a local `2,500, t bas, projec land marke to Barna airport villagers ed the SIPCOT indusr But the that reshap da furthe has left the money .A if had notifie the polls, only force project ment a dip. y beforeover land values unsure airport lakh govern nearb d `1.03 of the land are s have seen back trial park expectations aroun Seeralan at g up ellation sold their price push pushin being quoted scrapped, lakh per . Land also facing `1 got The canc ers who of cent was project got at least ment Farm the from them stries is govern have of land airanxious.clawed back 45 cents his lips before should accusing the Yet, with the “I dly indu dered origi“I said. he said, landowners. led and surren es the a will be set up eco-frien cent,” cheated ani had hands tremb back tears. also believ have been Sigam to his ed, he so. I have having led to hold Plan to lakh. do tely prove now scrapp for `30 as he strugg told me to his wife ed has now son may ultima he port ,” he said, ter C . quiver land. My money unsure why n- nal sale bargain. the land boom @ Chennai Minis ive gly in Nelvoy sold the the entire se of KumAR gover Chief lation sted y calm “The suspind lucrat is becau e. Since him, seemin That is an uneas ers with ed exhau beside to strang ers. my husba revers nced the cancel prices land strang are guard heRe ing not put rs say annou gone into — sitting now beers eye ns Vijay ers n should speak t, village parcels Villag rsatio was speak Joseph l villag decisio conve reluctant to t projec some cion, ainty that ment’s e,” she says. are by severa. Their imthe airpor ived, with`1,000 a cent. rs is also s after d troubl and many of the uncert is shared on record to the comental village gov- in the farme ion have nose-dat aroun facing more fundam that her worry to speak happens a reflect over theKazhagam t is no ed ing quoted ainty land by a on is what if the airpor seek has settledga Vettri sed Parandur who declin The uncert unded will farm the ment te questi y paid compo govern the Tamilathe propo media on: who young ed s in tion alread Will the questi r, said built. pensa ant nt scrapp ns? y 13 village an being reluct 5,746 remai r, a local farme ernme project. longer nearly back? t the roughl eri, Seeral t Kuma are increasingly his son airpor t where slated for money ouring Mel airpor lture. is among the fafor the ally Nelvoy eepuram distric t who er people ue in agricu In neighb five acres rs were effecorigin studen up Vijay t land. I govto contina Class 10 the Kanch land was airpor as the had given said village I sold the ed l, of TVK leader villed the choice ana t. he Raghu questioned visited their Chenacres have exhaust projec y ition. ment has canceler S Keerth money. t, has with littleits plan for told not left acres mousl acquis ed the entire n is t protes he has were ries Minist the 1,802 up tively nt pursu t. “We worth 3.5 by the The govern my questio s to as to why the airpor dad’s profes l Thodur ly that airpor setting ernme n t, but Indust during up his Raghu nsatio collect it what happen Impacted project projec Assembly recent used forjobs. While sation lage be to take the actor, nai’s second compe or that compen to take no plans told the ed land could to create want the t value ed by d. If we the already propoSed ian. Now ally either ries amount airport the marke we oppose nsation sion. Inspir a politict is offici puraM of acquir indust and ally CPM to farmif the times to be CM endly Mada s court paid if compe being the land govwants eco-fri rt projecto meet the from the court, the ” he said. `3 is no longer the ition partie to return se from the ur to the airpo he wants oppos ment 2.5 times, ed about built. Will went l respon ed, tion aTTupuTh be only receiv money in government seek scrapp him. TVK governno officia genera ted & is ally would back? Eleva “I ed the to thank is also a visible youngsters ers, there yet. roads tram. he eventu ru nh the money ai nt varcha left and There villages. Many and invest surface Chenn ernme ai-bengalu Sungu i, a villager crore the Chenn s in nearbythe fields. plots in cents of land he said. Sigaman ru gap in career ,” to three P RAJKUMAR a few GRAPHIC: village lives tilling want ai-bengalu to esd to pursue still havein Mel eri a tree Chenn highway wante than spending bikes. They work in flashy not want to a house sitting under joked about ed his Express rather ers do an defend ren want ing heat Villag blister “Child cities. They as Seeral in Tamil SAHu in ition r said. cape the windfall, r trend hectares pRASAd work acquis ” Kuma a broademillion pIC: SHIbA s, his sudden sell. rked forclassified as the fields, is part of n to 1.617 earma f decade decisio 5,746 acres 2 acres are d-a-hal its geoThe shift state has lost land and The Of the t, 2,682.6 agricultural been acover four-an land in to 36%, Nadu. airpor 48% sown area of net sown for the ds, including1,802 acres have m and of net ission ed from the share So far, in ekan apura resistwetlan ral has declin ing Comm while odies. to stiff cal area State Plann non-ag ricultu in waterb No land ed due es a graphi d. acquir ing to Land under land 6, nd hectar quire rs. alam was that their of accord study. 1,501.6 thousa es in 2015-1 lThand the village ruing those funded are from nd hectar of agricu ed while resisted ance from villagers ion thousa uses rose y , who Nearb to 2,200sustained divers been acquir “We are g in puram LACED s have to ekana with them. ng 1971 t be comin parcel bE DISp referri . pointing alam andremained no longer of the projec SEt to ani said, in Nelvoy Thand ition, t may tural land. uences are likely acquis ate,” Sigamvillagers threatenThe airpor the conseq earance — livelia- the that fortun dur. But disapp unity among the land, and the not land and in a predic lack of people us to sell to court would Paran its sudden ded in the to come. are wonto the and — Who als forced be taken s for years n embed n has landed their land nsation “Offici we would as his to remai these village ited there. The decisio rs who sold the compe eting or of n depos ” he said softly,ring aning that es of Farme hoods nsatio ning ment: what becom ors face plumm is a simme by the rEqUIrED remai of compe go to court? tED ed to dering on. There acquir ed, invest value, and L LAnD S LoCA ES want the future totA ACrE ng comon lookedland, though they receiv le land about r boDI grands dictab es worry of . state planniurbanishim. his , the y unpre In wAtE ement by the ACrES 3.5 times ger in Nelvoy an famili manag pAttA the rapidl Parandur sation: report ani of agrari Compen value A recent warned that , where farms. r-old K Sigam al. prIvAtE/ vulner market their the n has 285 sqft singly ur region e. lly person What missio tation: umbud ing increa For 74-yea is painfu se chang LAnD Rehabili ent houses for the state ainty ing Sriper is becom e of land-u Thermal ACrES d, uncert resettlem families p offered becaus h and is locate heat stress Urban Growt of Built-U of govt (dMK Govt) displaced , Nadu, able to sment report Asses n in Tamil LAnD In its 2025 Decadal ctions betwee :A te Interaa strong link s. Stress Clima ACrES rature tempe intenArea and ission found the projrising y heat ACqUIrED d that ately the Comm sion and ed as “highl cant urban warne adequ expan t urban blocks classifi sed signifi umbudur, did not ment had study ative impac witnes All 94 The assess tream sibility were Sriper r, which the cumul had also , assess examine downs and Minju 1985 but sified” . Among them ect’s pre-fea ai. in runoff mallee p area or fy Chennai . growth Poona quanti river basins those to Chennnce now N YA @ athur, little built-u urbanisation of have ing releva C H A I TA the on Kundr d and ely includ rapid ISHNA e fresh questi ment may air- on shelve SV KR had relativ undergone made the cant. govern greenfield flood risks, gs assum t has been alternative Nadu sed said this more signifi of proThe findin t projec trial ering have since Tamil propo years he rrajan airpor is consid tal even t with indus vy ed the Sunda nmen S that the er an ment ed land. te-hea scrapp Parandur, ending enviro dur’s future airpor er y wheth degovern Paran acing an or other concre underlyport at farmers and ries Minist that the for the acquir not merelAny future s the na“Repl on is ouses tests by But with Indust Assembly t the ecoe uses questi come up there. wareh will not addreschange the the 0-cror s. the “The same parks, re into accoun of group ting in the `27,00 a ons ing the tructu It could merely t should fear retain infras airpor ent has to take l functicoordinator entalists m. ana indica ed for for industries, while logica , of Keerth y acquir osed pment will haping proble which environm velopm and hydro rrajan lation al advoExpRESS develo he said. l nment land alread be repurp ed: what odies and G Sunda project | river basins, But ,” the cancel ture of logica t could has emerg waterb and Adyar the airport uences therefore, ed enviro rgal. ape,” said one battle. will e a poprojec on ds, s i Reai-bas dur, landsc s? ended to the Cooum s were to replace questi n- conseq system deChenn later becam lagin Nanba Uvaka oned fresh e linked dur’s wetlan system the concer n the For Paran may have enviro water ge of the Poovu t Paran or of a landscap if new industrie ds and for large-scale ased report CPM and us DMK group e of an pen to ted draina airport, hile, questi the pressure r, part of the airpor wetlan the bala, direct uction of a cacy way onnec to releas meanw er its The unrele in Parandu develop ment the previogs under oint, with interc make ents of the constr e Vidhu ation, comwas yet wheth part fresh flashp s accusing A wetland Unioppon ted or to be seen. to d ment Found expert For Anna ces litical group could face g its findin limite sed site formsfields, wetbe protec is yet search state govern ppointed office r S l s from ent ltural lains menta ment of keepin the propo state-a was never IAS dur also ed expert water resour agricu t. The Paran fl o o d velopm al floodp that whyreport of the by retire d includ the govern ape of was never airpor nding season she d fear the and The panel Madras and its report landsc find?” had also- wraps. e heade ns surrou t l a n d s warelarger tion tanks, They now er, , IIT ittee athan. mitte ries, irriga channels. versity . howevdomain. TIDCO e repeat The concer n d we comm ndran indust alter the yo lands, ge tment despit Mache t did the t with d be the the comical exten tuted the hy- depar in the publicthe reportmade under and draina airpor ructure could “Wha ecolog consti ing the placed to disclose ne sing the to the airreplac or other infrast ing exami d ing those ment had asked. t addres tion govern ary 2023 to ts, includ Act. site follow ca- refuse houses The ct the ation ape withou to the opposi i in Febru ility of obstru an ed reques led landsc to Inform mittee t could ns that the first place. by the Uvaka Right ical suitab airpor ing the Kamb concer ment that the prothe t in drolog ions that s, includ port projeclogical assess found the Cooum had object A hydroFoundation linked to an imporand stream ch r nals t site was and played Resear dwate Canal. airpor groun posed tion. river basins ation, and Adyar flood moder flow regula in tream tant role and downs ge rechar ChEnnai parandur AM EEpUr KAnCh nElvoy parandur I L tA M EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Forec Cloudy WEaTh U n A D 13 villages podavur 3 TN siblings crack NEET to realise childhood dream THINAKARAN RAJAMANI action was one of the largest M&A deals in corporate India. However, the merger also brought a host of challenges, particularly on the asset-liability and margin fronts. The bank also faced several other issues during Jagdishan’s tenure, the most significant of which was in March 2026 when non-executive chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned citing concerns over the bank’s functioning. The bank also faced allegations of mis-selling low-investment-grade bonds to NRIs through its Dubai branch, with customers allegedly promised higher returns that were not received. In a separate case involving the alleged mis-selling of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds issued by failed Swiss lender Credit Suisse, American investors reportedly threatened to initiate a class-action lawsuit against the bank. Difference of opinion A C SHIV T r Paranadu ce ct at glan FULL REPORT ON PAGE 2 1,005 homes 5,746.18 acres 1,558 3,774.01 72.17 1,802 1,9 proje AIRPORT AXED, ANXIETY STAYS T IN PARANDUR ises l plan ra Industria estions again al qu ecologic Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government’s cancellation of the Parandur airport project has left several villagers in Kancheepuram in limbo, with unanswered questions regarding the fate of the compensations paid and the 1,802 acres of land already acquired. While the state proposes repurposing the acquired land for eco-friendly industries, environmental groups strongly criticise the move. They argue that cancelling the airport project ostensibly to protect fertile wetlands and livelihood of farmers and then introducing new industrial projects in the same site is contradictory