tirupati l saturday l september 26, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l anantapur EDITION AFspa extended for six more months in parts of 3 states The Centre has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in specified areas of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur Move follows review of L&O situation A Gazette notification published on Friday said the Act, which gives special powers to the Armed Forces, will remain in effect in the specified areas for six months from October 1, unless withdrawn earlier. This follows a review of the law and order situation. The “disturbed area” declaration has been extended across Manipur, barring areas under 13 police stations Four nagas killed in Manipur ■ ■ Four Nagas were killed in a cross-border attack allegedly by Myanmar-based alleged Kuki insurgents on Thursday afternoon at Pilong near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Kamjong district The Working Committee of the Tangkhul Naga Long held the govt responsible and called for a 24-hour shutdown from 7 am Friday Sec 3 of AFSPA empowers the centre to declare “disturbed areas” 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 NDA allies’ turn New model investment treaty coming to seek clarity from Gyanesh P u s h p i ta D ey @ New Delhi Chirag, Kushwaha, Devarayalu urge him to publicly address misgivings in poll process Pa r v e z S u lta n & R a m a s h a n k a r @ New Delhi/Patna HC fiat to meta platforms The Delhi HC on Friday directed Meta Platforms to remove a woman’s morphed picture with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ordered police to provide protection to the victim express read 807 liquor shops to be allotted Vijayawada: The Prohibition and Excise Department has invited applications for allotment of 807 A4 liquor shops across the State for the Excise Year 2026-27 through a draw of lots. Of the total 807 shops, 799 fall under the Open Category and 8 under the Reserved Category | P3 Lokesh invites Gujarat investors Vijayawada: Asserting that Andhra Pradesh wants to emerge as a major growth engine in the country’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047, Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh has invited Gujarat-based industrialists to partner in its development | P4 Plan to procure 37L MT of paddy Vijayawada: The State government has set a target of procuring 37 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the 2026-27 Kharif season, and is making arrangements to ensure that farmers do not face difficulties, said Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar | P4 Amid mounting Opposition attacks on the Centre and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of arbitrary decisions in connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, three BJP allies — the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (LJP-RV), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) — on Friday sought clarity on the electoral process to “dispel misgivings” among voters. In a related development, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the decisions, guidelines and software changes allegedly made by the CEC without the concurrence of the two election commissioners, saying they violate the statutory requirement of collective decision-making. LJP-Ram Vilas chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan urged the Election Commission (EC) to publicly address concerns about the electoral process and dispel misgivings among voters, while RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha pressed for an immediate clarification. TDP’s floor leader in the Lok Sabha Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu said transparency from the poll panel would boost confidence in the constitutional institution. “If questions are being raised about the Election Commission, which is an independent constitutional body the responsi, bility lies with the CEC to present his stance clearly,” Paswan said. He added When he was that the poll panel should clarify its posinamed in a tion before the public, rather than addresssuicide note ing the concerns only to Congress leader Present CEC Rahul Gandhi. Devarayalu said that while the SIR was Gyanesh Kumar conducted transparently in Andhra was in 2006 Pradesh, a clarification from the EC would named accused in a suicide note. He be beneficial. “From the perspective of Andhra was Kerala Works Pradesh, having closely observed the SIR Secretary when a exercise, I can say that the process was Malaysian project conducted in a transparent manner. Ade- officer died by quate opportunities and sufficient time suicide after were provided to every voter to participate accusing Kumar and others of and raise concerns,” he said. Kushwaha said, “A great deal of confu- harassment and sion has arisen regarding the SIR exer- delays in payments cise. To dispel the confusion, the Election to his company for Commission should immediately issue a a road project clarification on the correct position.” As for the Congress, it held protests across states, with demonstrations turning violent at some places. There were reports of clashes between the protesters and the security personnel. The security forces had to use teargas and water cannons to disperse the protesters at some places. According to Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, as part of the second phase of the protests, all District Congress Committees will organise similar marches to their respective District ColP7 lectorates on Monday  . An updated model framework for bilateral investment treaties (BITs) is awaiting Cabinet approval, sources said. It is expected to incorporate changes negotiated with countries such as the UAE and Qatar, while Canada will also be covered. The Cabinet is likely to approve it soon, the sources said, adding India has already begun negotiations with several nations under the new framework. Several foreign companies have criticised India’s existing BIT framework, particularly the dispute resolution mechanism, which they say is time- No tax component The new framework will not include tax concessions or provisions that could expose India’s sovereign taxation powers to international arbitration. “Tax will not go into the model BIT. It’s our sovereign right to tax, and that can’t be open to arbitration,” a source said ing foreign investment flows. The government is now seeking to update it based on its experience in negotiating treaties with the UAE and Qatar. “Four BITs will be finalised soon and people are already going to different countries for negotia- darkness to light: Golden hit after second chance s URUCHI Singh slept for 13 hours after finishing 25th in the women’s individual 10m pistol qualification eve n t o n We d n e s d ay. Kamaljeet did not get a chance to brood over his so-near-yet-sofar moment in the men’s individual 10m pistol qualification event on Thursday . Yet, after getting to know that he would be part of the mixed team on Friday, he did not get proper sleep. He was tossing and turning; he was borderline obsessed with the mixed 10m air pistol event at the picturesque Aichi Prefecture Shooting Range. Though Suruchi had been a constant in the team, Kamaljeet was a late inclusion. The shooting team has had one of the worst outings in recent times. If things had gone as per calculation, India would have won more gold before the start of F r i d ay ’ s m e d a l e v e n t s . The results have betrayed the team. With such a predicament, they started the mixed team campaign. Suruchi and Kamaljeet had shaken off the qualification blues. A pep talk from mother and coach, solitary walks and quiet times were enough for them to recoup. Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh (R) celebrate their gold medal success. The duo posted the Asian Record in the final | pti Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya The two are young and are playing their first Asian Games. Nerves are raw and emotions high as the two went about their campaign. Just like the two shooters, the game too is being played at the Asian Games for the first time. Friday was different. A new day and a new beginning as Suruchi and Kamaljeet went about their chores in the final hall after a record performance during qualifications. With four teams in the final, India were the favourites to win gold. It was just a matter of time. “I always dreamt about winning a medal in the Asian Games,” said Kamaljeet. For Suruchi, it was exorcising the ghost of the qualification. More than them, India needed the gold in shooting. Petitions against three capitals-plan Prez sends anti-Goonda are infructuous now, observes HC bill back to West Bengal E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday observed that several petitions challenging the previous YSRCP government’s plan to establish three capitals would become infructuous as Amaravati has been accorded statutory recognition as the State capital by Parliament. The court further directed the parties to place before it details of any other petitions that had become infructuous, and stated that classifying the cases issue-wise would facilitate their adjudication. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill, and Justices N Jayasurya and BS Bhanumathi, passed the orders while hearing a batch of petitions concerning the State capital. The bench also deferred further proceedings in view of the possibility that the appeals filed by the previous government against the High Court’s March 3, 2022 judgment could come up before the Supreme Court on September 29. It may be recalled that farmers from the capital region Amaravati, and several others had approached the High Court challenging the repeal of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) Act, and the legislation making provision for decentralisation of administration through the proposed threeP4 capitals arrangement.  Y B r a h m a j i @ Vijayawada 50% to 31.15%. From June 1 to September 25, the State received 379 mm rainfall against the normal 550.51 mm, resulting in a cumulative deficit of 31.15%. The torrential downpour has substantially altered the situation. Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Polavaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, Krishna and Guntur have now moved into the normal rainfall category . The intensity of the rainfall was particularly evident in North Coastal Andhra. Visakhapatnam recorded 255.08 mm during the two-day period, the highest among the districts. The two-day rainfall resulted in exceptionally high deviations from normal in several districts. Visakhapatnam recorded a deviation of 2,923.60%, Polavaram 2,156.38%, and East Godavari 1,400.65%, while Srikakulam registered 1,173.99%, Vizianagaram 1,109.43% and Alluri Sitarama Raju 1,056.61% respectively . Despite the significant improvement, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, NTR, Palnadu and Nellore continue to remain in the deficient rainfall category on a cumulative basis. However, their rainfall deficit has now come down to P4 below 30%. tions. We have negotiations with 20-25 countries as per the BIT framework of 2016. But later, during our negotiations with UAE and Qatar, we moved far away from the previous framework,” a finance ministry official said. However, the domestic judiciary will not be bypassed. The new framework will also maintain certain safeguards for India’s policy-making space. “The framework will be designed in a way to ensure some red lines will not be crossed,” the sources said, adding that tax-related provisions would be excluded from the model BIT. Gross FDI fell to less than 1% of GDP in 2025, compared with a peak of 3.6% in 2008. Nippon notes Satwik and Chirag shocked by Thai pair Doubles specialists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a first-round defeat in the men’s doubles category. Satwik and Chirag, who were the defending champs, lost 12-21, 21-19, 21-14 against Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun. Baranica vaults to historic bronze NDPS Act overlap 11 dists come out of rainfall deficit after downpour The deep depression-induced torrential downpour has dramatically improved Andhra Pradesh’s rainfall situation, with the State receiving 68.64 mm rainfall in just two days (Wednesday and Thursday) against the normal 11.59 mm an excess of 492.32%. The torrential downpour has brought 11 of the 28 districts in the State into the normal rainfall category, and sharply reduced the State’s cumulative rainfall deficit from around consuming and creates a significant impediment to further investment. Under India’s current model, foreign investors are generally required to pursue remedies in Indian courts for five years before initiating international arbitration. India terminated BITs with more than 70 countries in 2016 and 2017 and adopted a more restrictive model treaty that narrowed the definition of investment, removed most-favoured-nation provisions and excluded protection against retrospective taxation and certain regulatory measures. Analysts identified the existing framework as one of the factors for stagnat- SU B H E N D U MAITI @ KOLKATA IN a setback to the BJP-led West Bengal government, President Droupadi Murmu has sent the controversial West Bengal Public Safety and Control of AntiSocial Activities Bill back to the state for reconsideration. Opposition parties on Friday welcomed the development. The ‘anti-Goonda’ bill was passed by the West Bengal Assembly in June. The bill was criticised by Opposition parties alleging the Suvendu Adhikari government would misuse its expanisve provisions. However, it was sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan for approval. In its note before returning the bill, the Centre said it may overlap with the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act. “Section (B) of the proposed Bill, insofar as it includes within the definition of ‘goonda’ a person who commits, attempts to commit, abets, promotes, finances or facilitates any offence punishable under the NDPS Act, 1985, may overlap with the preventive-detention framework provided under the PIT- Two-part legal effort The ‘anti-Goonda’ Bill was passed with Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill — which has been notified — that allows the state to confiscate and auction properties of those involved in the damage of properties. Both bills were meant to be used together NDPS Act, 1988, which is a specific Central legislation dealing with preventive detention of persons engaged in illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,” it said. As the overlap might give rise to repugnancy under Article 254 of the Constitution, the note said reference to offences under NDPS Act in the section may be deleted. Secretariat officials said there is scope for the bill to be passed in the state assembly after amendment. Baranica Elangovan of Tamil Nadu scripted history on Friday. She captured a bronze medal for India in the women’s pole vault here. It is India’s first-ever medal in pole vault event. The 29-yearold had a best effort of 4.15m. Two good: Gulveer captures silver Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh won a silver medal in the men’s 10,000m, becoming the first athlete from the country to achieve podium finishes twice in the said discipline in the history of Asian Games. Shot putter Manpreet Kaur also won a bronze. Centre permits sale of excess FCV tobacco E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Ongole Tobacco growers’ requests for relief from penalties on excess and unauthorised production received a positive response after the Union government permitted the sale of excess Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco produced in Andhra Pradesh during the 2025-26 crop season. As per the latest notification issued by the Union Commerce Ministry on Friday the Centre , has permitted registered and unregistered growers in the State to sell excess FCV tobacco at all auction platforms authorised by the Tobacco Board. “The Central Ministry issued the Gazette notification today and it will take another four to five days to complete all procedural steps and issue appropriate guidelines. It is a good sigh of relief for the entire tobacco growers of AP,” GLK Prasad, Regional Manager of the SBS and SLS regions, told TNIE. According to official information, the Tobacco Board permitted around 142 million kg of tobacco production for the 202526 crop season, including up to 89 million kg for the SBS and P4 SLS regions.