BHUBANESWAR l Tuesday l september 08, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l JEYPORE EDITION LPG refill booking gap cut to 25 days for domestic consumers The Centre has directed oil marketing companies to revise inter-refill booking interval for domestic LPG consumers in rural areas to 25 days Move follows dip in refill backlog U.S. now largest supplier of lpg imports The earlier interval for refill booking for rural consumers was 45 days. Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said on Monday that the decision follows an improvement in LPG supply situation and a reduction in refill backlog. He shared a copy of the letter issued by Petroleum Ministry to OMCs to immediately implement the decision ■ ■ Owing to the West Asia situation, LPG was the worst-hit fuel as India imports nearly 60% of its domestic requirement, with around 90% of those imports sourced from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait Recently, India significantly diversified its LPG imports, with the United States emerging as the country’s largest supplier 63,810 tonnes a day is india’s daily lpg production 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 Defence ministry Ease of biz push: Cabinet okays Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0 clears purchases worth `1.1 lakh cr E x p ress N e w s S er v ice @ Bhubaneswar Forces to get advanced choppers, radars; Su-30MKI fighter jets to get major upgrades J A V A R I A R A N A @ New Delhi THE defence ministry on Monday cleared military hardware purchases worth `1.1 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Approximately 98% of the procurement by value will come from Indian industry . The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), or inprinciple administrative approvals, for the defence acquisitions. For the Air Force, the DAC cleared “various proposals to enhance the war-fighting capability of fighters, transports and helicopters”. Sources said these include the overhaul of 40 Su-30MKIs by Hindustan Aeronautics, twice the number the PSU had earlier proposed. IAF operates around 260 Su-30MKIs, its mainstay fighter fleet. The DAC had earlier cleared the overhaul of Su-30 aero-engine aggregates. The approval seeks to address a gap in the IAF’s long-range beyond-visual-range capability with Operation Sindoor underscoring the , requirement. The overhaul covers modifications to allow the Sukhois to fire the RVV-BD, the export version of Russia’s R-37M missile. Weighing 510 kg and carrying a 60-kg warhead, the missile has a range of 200 km and is designed to engage AWACS aircraft, aerial refuellers and other high-value airborne assets. For the Navy, the DAC cleared the design, development and subsequent procurement of a marine gas turbine in the 24-28 MW class, with the ministry saying the propulsion system “will reduce dependency on foreign vendors”. India currently imports turbines for several frontline destroyers and frigates. The Navy will also get Arudhra radars, which “will replace the existing Air Route Surveillance Radars at various Naval Air Stations”. Developed by the DRDO, Arudhra is a four-dimensional active phased-array radar with an instrumented range of 400 km whichis able to detect a two-square-metre target at up to 300 km. The Army stands to get more HAL-built advanced light helicopters, or Dhruv, to “execute complex missions across all terrains and operational situations”. A `8,073 crore deal for 34 ALH Mk-III was signed with HAL in March 2024. DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity to various acquisition proposals at an estimated cost of `1,10,000 cr Defence ministry CBRN recce vehicles The Army is set to get Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear recce vehicles, high mobility vehicles, self-propelled mechanical mine layers, advanced light helicopters, and trawl tanks Acceptance of Necessity AoN is the first step in defence acquisition. The process involves tech evaluation, trials as well as negotiations. Big acquisitions will require more govt approvals The state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday approved the Odisha Jan Vishwas Bill-2026, the second phase of the state’s regulatory reform for reducing compliance burden on businesses and citizens. The proposed legislation seeks to go beyond the decriminalisation measures introduced under the Odisha Jan Vishwas Act, 2025, by simplifying licensing and permission requirements, eliminating overlapping approvals and extending the validity of several industrial licences and registrations, said chief secretary Anu Garg in her post-cabinet briefing at Lok Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chairing the cabinet meeting on Monday Seva Bhawan. The Bill of the Industries department proposes amendments to 62 provisions across 16 state Acts administered by 11 departments. The reforms have been divided into two schedules. Schedule I proposes 35 amendments across 11 Acts dealing with decriminalisation and rationalisation of minor, technical and procedural offences. These include replacing imprisonment or disproportionate fines with monetary penalties, updating outdated penalties and introducing simpler administrative or appellate mechanisms. Schedule II contains 27 amendments across five Acts aimed at rationalising nine reg- Moving From co-operation to co-creation US market open for Indian space startups, says Sergio Gor PA D M I N I D H R U V A R A J & B O S K Y K H A N N A @ Bengaluru US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday said that the American market is open for Indian space startups as the two countries move towards ‘co-creation’ from ‘cooperation’ and data-sharing. Stressing that NASA and ISRO will work together on the Moon Base Programme, he said: “Make no mistake: we are going back to the Moon, and we want India by our side.” Gor said the US-India space relationship is moving towards joint technology development, investment in startups and future space missions. “We are no longer just sharing data; we are co-designing instruments, cofunding Pixxel raises $100 mn Bengaluru-based planetaryinfrastructure company Pixxel on Monday announced the close of its $100-million Series C funding round, marking the single-largest funding round organised by a spacetechnology company in India. The round brings Pixxel’s total funding to $195 million startups, and co-authoring the future of human discovery he said, referring to dis,” cussions between the two countries on expanding their civil space partnership. “The American market is open to you. Our investors are watching. Our ecosystems welcome you. We are here to help you make that leap,” he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Beng alur u Space Expo. India’s space sector reforms have ignited a commercial awakening. Innovators like Pixxel and GalaxEye are redefining Earth observation. Digantara is leading the way in space situational awareness. Bellatrix is propelling space forward. Pioneers like Skyroot and Agnikul are building next-generation launch capabilities, he said. He said the US wants to build a direct commercial corridor between American industry and Indian innovators. “The US and India are working together on multiple sectors and at unthinkable working levels.” Gor’s remarks come as India seeks to expand the role of private firms in its space programme. The government opened the sector to greater private participation in 2020, and companies have since increasingly entered rocket manufacturing, satellite development and space-based services. Owner of deadly Delhi hostel held from Rajasthan; 5 officials suspended I f rah M u f ti & U dayan K ishore @ New Delhi A day after seven persons were killed when a multi-storey paying guest accommodation collapsed in Satya Niketan, its alleged owner Hariram Gupta was arrested in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, on Monday. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court ordered a one-week audit of PGs and hostels across the city . Gupta, the 81-year-old retired Indian Air Force Sergeant, was apprehended by Delhi Police teams following a case registered against him for culpable homicide and negligence in maintaining the structure and endangering the safety of others. A lookout notice had also been issued against Gupta. PG-owner Hariram Gupta (left) with his son after their arrest on Monday | X Gupta, a long-time resident of Gurugram, allegedly owns several properties and a hardware shop. Police said the collapsed property was registered in the name of his 75-year-old wife, Ur mila Gupta, while Gupta and their 52-year-old son, Mahesh Gupta, were managing and running the premises. Gupta reportedly had electricity connections for two floors of the building in his name, police said. Police also arrested his son and his wife. Police are now searching for the PG operators and the labour contractor. Their roles in the construction and operation of the premises will be examined and action taken accordingly . Meanwhile, the MCD suspended five officials of its South Zone, including Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar and four building department officials, with immediate effect, with disciplinary proceedings pending against them. Candle light vigil People light candles and pray during a day of mourning for those killed in the August 26 floods in Kathmandu, Nepal on Monday. The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal surged to 1,356 on Monday as more bodies were recovered from the affected areas. At least 4,994 people remain missing | AP/PTI ulatory approvals. The measures include extending validity periods, reducing or eliminating renewal requirements and introducing intimation-based registration or no objection certificate mechanisms wherever considered appropriate. The reforms also seek to address duplication in licensing by recognising equivalent clearances already issued by urban local bodies. For certain activities, businesses will not have to obtain separate licences from other state departments if they already possess the requisite municipal trade licence. The Bill also proposes simplification of several other business-related permissions, including longer validity of agricultural market licences, rationalised gram panchayat licensing requirements and easier permissions for name boards, public-street works and specified temporary commercial activities. Garg said, “The measures are intended to reduce regulatory friction, litigation and procedural delays while improving certainty for businesses and investors. The reforms will enhance administrative efficiency and strengthen citizen and investor confidence by moving towards a more trust-based regulatory framework.” The Jan Vishwas Bill 2.0 aims to position Odisha as an investor-friendly destination by reducing the compliance burden associated with setting up and operating businesses, she said. Odisha DGP case: Amicus seeks consideration of original eligibility list S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y service, while the eligibility list shows less than 31 years as of the relevant date. This clarificaWith the Odisha DGP appoint- tion is necessary to maintain ment case under scrutiny in the transparency and accuracy in Supreme Court, Amicus Curiae t h e s e l e c t i o n p ro c e s s, i t Raju Ramachandran on Monday emphasised. recommended that only the The Amicus further added original eligibility list should be that the state government should considered by the Empanelment be directed to file an affidavit Committee to prevent manipula- specifying reasons why it seeks tion and ensure fairness in the to withhold the Integrity Certifiprocess. cate of one of the eligible DGPThe Amicus Ramachandran level officers given the prevailalong with Dr Charu Mathur, in ing position in law and the their submissions in the top officer’s continuation in his post court, focussed on procedural as DGP. integrity, transparency and ad“While it is correct that the herence to established guide- State Govt. (government) can lines, referencing the Prakash withhold a certificate, the quesSingh judgments and recent ac- tion of whether such action has tions by the Odisha government been taken for cogent reasons and UPSC. and based on application of Ramachandran questioned mind to relevant material can be the empanelment procedure, examined by this Court,” the specifically the exclusion of sen- submission said. ior IPS officer Sushant Kumar Ramachandran stressed that Nath, whether his in light of this inintegrity certificonsistency in the cate was considstand of MHA and press ered and the sudclusive lack of clear readen promotion of sons for bringing officers who were two officers into subsequently added to the the Zone of Consideration after shortlist. submission of an initial proposThe Amicus Curiae report, al, the Empanelment Committee exclusively accessed by TNIE, should consider only the original expressed serious concern over eligibility list submitted on May the Odisha government’s crea- 14, 2026, and not the updated list tion of temporary ex-cadre DGP of August 10, 2026, reflecting the posts just before the appoint- promotions made on August 10. ment process, which allowed Meanwhile, the Supreme two additional DGPs to become Court deferred the hearing to eligible for DGP selection. September 16 on a PIL challeng“This was done after the origi- ing the selection process for the nal eligibility list (dated DGP of Odisha. 14.05.2026) had already been subA three-judge bench comprismitted to the UPSC. The Amicus ing Chief Justice Surya Kant, notes that the Ministry of Home Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Affairs (MHA) had earlier de- Justice V Mohana heard the nied such posts, and the sudden matter and adjourned the proreversal lacked clear justifica- ceedings for a week. tion,” the report pointed out. The PIL has alleged that Odi“There is an apparent incon- sha was attempting to shortlist sistency in the years of service a junior-rank officer for DGP, attributed to promoted officers, contrary to the Supreme Court’s particularly Shri Sanjeeb Pan- directions in Prakash Singh verda,” it stated and the suggested sus Union of India case, which the state should be directed to mandate a panel of senior-most explain why its letter claims officers with minimum service Panda completed 32 years of tenure. @ New Delhi SC judge shoots off 4th letter to CJI against Rajasthan HC’s Justice Sharma in a first S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi THE internal war in higher judiciary has intensified with Supreme Court’s Justice Sandeep Mehta writing his fourth consecutive letter to Chief Justice Surya Kant against Rajasthan High Court’s acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, levelling fresh charges of interfering in an internal judicial enquiry and misconducts. Quoting CJI Surya Kant’s earlier remark that judges should not try to “hit sixes” before retirement, Justice Mehta in his fourth letter on August 30 wrote in a reference, “Justice Sharma seems to be possessed of a licence to hit sixes ever since he took over as Acting Chief Justice.” According to sources in the Supreme Court registry, the said internal judicial enquiry relates to allegations that a Judicial corruption at HC In his fourth letter dated August 30, Justice Mehta said he has “material” against Justice Sharma regarding arbitrary rule changes, judicial interference and corruption and administrative breakdown at Rajasthan HC High Court judicial officer displayed indecent photographs of a lady judicial officer on his phone. A committee was formed, but Justice Sharma allegedly interfered and leaked confidential proceedings. “Justice Sharma has made direct intervention in the enquiry proceedings, hampering the independence of the c o m m i t t e e. . . ” Justice Mehta wrote. He alleged Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma that the committee, comprising three female judges of the Rajasthan High Court, recorded the minutes and refused to proceed with the enquiry . Justice Mehta had earlier also written similar letters on August 2, 10 and 17 accusing Justice Shar ma Justice Sandeep Mehta of serious misconduct and of “maladministration, malpractices, nepotism and favouritism.” Justice Sharma, however, termed the allegations as baseless and proceeded on leave. Justice Mehta said he received several complaints on Sharma’s integrity . On August 31, the Supreme Court collegium had recommended Justice Sanjay K Agrawal as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. National film awards in gujarat For the first time in its 72-year history, the National Film Awards ceremony will be held outside New Delhi, in Kevadia in Gujarat on September 22 | P 7