kannur l monday l march 04, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION iSRAEL AGREES TO TEMP TRUCE, BALL IN HAMAS’ COURT, u.s. SAYS Israelis have more or less accepted to a proposal for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza and release of vulnerable hostages by Hamas, US officials said Prisoner swap ratio is key issue in talks Will fighting pause for Ramadan? The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Hamas’ response is expected late Sunday or Monday. The issue is the identity of hostages who will be released and how many Palestinian prisoners will be freed in exchange, it said. Talks were held in Doha on Saturday and Cairo on Sunday. Besides the US, Qatar and Egypt are involved in the extended ceasefire talks ■ ■ A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the extended ceasefire was the best option available now for sending aid and food to Gaza which is under threat of famine Mediators are trying to broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins around March 10 | P9 5,75,000 people are one step away from Famine in Gaza, U.N. says 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 Sure of third term, PM & ministers plan agenda for next government Cabinet meet discusses action plan for 100 days, strategy to make India a developed country RAJ E S H K U M AR T H A K U R Not a moment to waste, says PM @ New Delhi Confident of retaining power for the third consecutive term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a day-long meeting of his Council of Ministers to discuss the immediate steps to be taken by the next government within the first 100 days. The meeting, probably the last such gathering before the Lok Sabha polls, also discussed the action plan for the next five years, and a blue print to make India a developed country by 2047. Sources said PM Modi kicked off the 8-hour discussion by sharing his thoughts on the comprehensive Viksit-Bharat2047 vision document and spoke for an hour about the various long-term strategies for India’s progress. This was followed by presentations by the ministers The PM said the 100-day action plan must be implemented soon after the next government is formed. “India needs a sustained effort in continuation without losing even a moment to make India a developed nation by 2047,” said a source, quoting PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi | PTI on their respective ministries’ roadmap for 25 years with special focus on the next five years and 100 days. In the meeting, it was decided that steps will be taken to ensure the Central development schemes reach every intended beneficiary. Sources said the deliberations included steps ensure zero poverty and impart skills to the youth. The vision document includes goals and action points for economic growth, ease of living and ease of doing business, social welfare, and Sustainable Development Goals. “Creating a sustainable economy to push the country to become the third-largest economy , placing equal emphasise on empowerment of women and poor with the spirit of atamnir- bhar (self reliance) has been one of the primary bases of the vision document,” said a source, adding that the details and outcome of more than 2,700 meetings held across the ministries have been added in the roadmap for 2047. This newspaper has learnt that PM Modi suggested that a separate budget of `1 lakh crore be earmarked for development of technologies to accelerate the pace of progresses. It was also advised that every ministry in future should frequently organise seminars with experts and try to implement good suggestions through suitable policies. “The objective of the discussions was to ensure saturation of the government’s welfare schemes, planning of peoplecentric policies, and schemes for time-bound elimination of poverty”, said a source. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi along with alliance partners Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav at an election rally in Patna | PTI INDIA bloc leaders sound poll bugle at Patna R a m a s h a nk a r @ Patna Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the Modi government at the centre was ignoring 73% of the country’s population. Addressing a rally in Patna, Rahul said that farmers, youth and others are meted out injustice. “The central government is neglecting the plight of the country’s population that be- longs to marginalised sections of the society he said. ,” Launching a scathing attack on the government at the centre, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the prime minister of failing to deliver on his promises. He questioned the veracity of Modi’s assurances regarding job creation, black money retrieval and pucca houses for all. He also accused BJP of betraying the trust of people and Jagan is losing big time: Prashant Kishor Express News service @ Hyderabad ACE political strategist Prashant Kishor, who played a key role in YSRC chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s massive victory in 2019, has predicted that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister is going to lose big in the ensuing assembly elections. Prashant was speaking on the pre-election scenarios in India at the Hyderabad Dialogues – an initiative of TNIE – here on Sunday. Asked about his views on Jagan and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s prospects, he offered the opinion that, even with all the usual caveats about calling an election, Jagan is losing. “I have no data or first-hand experience (of the situation in AP) but my gut is telling me that he is losing big. Not just losing… but losing big,” he said. Prashant, who is now on his own Jan Suraaj Abhiyan in Bihar and away from professional political strategising, offered an interesting rationale for his conclusion: that Jagan has made a mistake in putting all eggs in one basket. “It is a function Prashant Kishor speaking at Hyderabad Dialogues of how he ran the state. Andhra would probably fall in the middle income category . If you are not talking about capital creation and new infrastructure but only focusing on the distribution side in a middle income state, you are taking a big strategic risk. His government has given more priority to giving doles and Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) even at the cost of incurring a lot of additional debt. This might work in a low income state but in Andhra, where urbanisation is more than 50% , and when your government is seen only in terms of the free benefit you are giving to the masses, it may not. Because 50% (of population) is not even eligible and you are not even reaching them.” engaging in manipulative tactics devoid of factual basis. Taking a swipe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar the Congress chief advised RJD not to ally with him if ‘chacha comes again’. Taking a dig at Nitish, Bihar’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said the Bihar government should get its insurance done as it runs the risk of JD(U) president taking repeated U-turns. “They (BJP) say ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’, but who will take the guarantee of Nitish Kumar?” he asked. Referring to Modi’s remarks on ‘parivarwad’ (nepotism), Tejashwi said, “They (BJP) call us nepotism, but they have Samrat Choudhary deputy CM, , Pashupati Kumar Paras, brother of late Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi whose son has been made a minister in Nitish cabinet. It does not look like nepotism to them?” Shehbaz Sharif makes a statement in Pakistan Parliament after securing enough votes to become its PM | AFP New Pakistan PM mentions Kashmir in victory speech Y e s h i s el i @ New Delhi Shehbaz Sharif becomes the new prime minister of Pakistan after securing 201 votes out of 336 in Pakistan’s Parliament in a vote of confidence held on Sunday amidst protests from supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. He takes oath of office on Monday . Speaking in Parliament after the vote, Shehbaz, 72 years old, brought up Kashmir in his speech and said the Parliament should pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris. Also in his speech, he said he would eradicate terrorism and would maintain cordial relations with neighbours based on the principles of equality . Shehbaz, who was the prime minister till the parliament was dissolved in August 2023, takes charge at a time when Pakistan is deep in debt and where even the expenses of running the Parliament are paid through borrowed money he said. , The country was facing challenges because of its weak economy he said and promised , to put the country on the path of development. His job was difficult but not impossible, he added. Trying to sound optimistic, he said he will work towards making Pakistan a G20 member by 2030. Chinese President Xi Jingping sent congratulatory messages to the new prime minister. Shehbaz vowed to promote the upgraded version of CPEC projects and build a deeper relationship with China, an allweather Pakistan ally . BJP candidate list dampens workers’ zeal ahead of polls K S SR E E JI T H @ T’Puram ‘Pinarayi, Vellappally did not want me to contest’ Resentment is brewing among BJP workers in the state after the national leadership announced candidates for 12 seats in Kerala. Selection of candidates for ‘ ’ grade A constituencies like Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod has drawn flak even from party leaders. After all the hype in the run-up to the announcement, which was punctuated by multiple visits by Prime Minister Nareandra Modi to the state, the candidate list has proved to be a dampener, many state leaders feel. “Of the announced candidates, only Suresh Gopi (Thrissur) has any semblance of a fighting chance. The party’s performance in the state would have been different, had the national leadership picked right candidates at least for the ‘A’ grade constituencies,” a senior state leader told TNIE on condition of anonymity . The national leadership’s pick for Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta has hurt the morale of BJP workers the most. “Rajeev Chandrasekhar doesn’t have any connect with Thiruvananthapuram. He has never shown any interest in developing relations here. I’m afraid he may finish third here,” a district leader said. Pathanamthitta: Stirring emotions within the NDA, former MLA P C George — who joined the BJP recently — alleged on Sunday that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan and the latter’s son Thushar Vellappally did not want him to contest from Pathanamthitta. P5 Union minister V Muraleedharan, who has been nominated from neighbouring Attingal, would have been a better candidate in the state capital, another leader said. “Tharoor has an edge, but coastal communities and the Latina Church have fallen out with him. However, Rajeev doesn’t have the potential to tap the rift. Of course, the BJP has certain pockets, but with a strange face, it would prove futile,” another district leader said. The candidature of Anil K Antony has punctured the newly found bonhomie between the BJP and a section of the influential Christian community in Pathanamthitta. Differences with his style of functioning notwithstanding, several BJP and Christian leaders think P C George would have been a much better choice as he could have cashed in on anti-Muslim ● More on P5 sentiments. E X P RE S S RE A D SSLC examinations to begin today T’Puram: Over 4.27 lakh students will appear for the SSLC examinations beginning on Monday. The exam will be held across 2,971 centres, including 2,955 centres in the state, nine in Lakhsadweep and seven in the Gulf region. The examination will be on till March 25. P5 Justice Gangopadhyay to resign on Tuesday Kolkata: Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, whose rulings on various education-related issues in the state stirred political debates, said he will resign on Tuesday. Justice Gangopadhyay declined to comment on whether he intends to enter politics. Neethi Sidharthan’s death: Remand report details torture medicals to offer steep discounts on cancer, dialysis drugs Already, the store was selling other medicines at a discount of 14% to 60%. This will go up to 70% from April 1, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Sunday | P5 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kalpetta The remand report on the six students arrested on February 29 in connection with the death of J S Sidharthan, a secondyear student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode, has stated that a detailed probe is required to ascertain the possibility of murder. The report submitted by the police at the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Kalpetta, also detailed the hours-long torture using belts and cable wires and the mob trial that Sidharthan underwent at the hands of the accused on February 16, two days before he was found hanging in the hostel bathroom. “The investigation team has to conduct an in-depth investigation to check the possibility of murder. The accused shall not be provided bail in the case as there is a possibility of influ- encing the witnesses who are the classmates and college mates of the accused, affecting the investigation process,” stated the remand report. According to the report, the accused students called Sidharthan who was on his way to Nedumangad back to the hostel to settle a complaint — raised against him by a female student Student attacked over campus dispute, 20 booked Kozhikode: Police have filed a case against 20 persons, including SFI workers, who attacked a fellow student of R Sankar Memorial SNDP Arts and Science College, Koyilandy, over a dispute on campus last Friday. The accused include college union chairman and SFI unit secretary. P4 —as per the ‘unwritten rules’ of the hostel. On reaching the hostel, Sidharthan faced a mob trial and gruesome physical and mental torture for hours. The report said Sidharthan was called back to the hostel by Rahan Binoy and Muhammed Danish. They told him if the complaint of the female student is not settled at the hostel, they will move ahead with a police case. Sidharthan, who reached the hostel on February 16 morning, was held hostage in his room by the accused till evening, the ● More on P4 report stated. Another Catch-22, Another Solution Kozhikode fishers not ‘wasting’ a chance to save sea world P o o j a N a i r @ Kozhikode Another catch-22, and yet another effort to give us a fighting chance! Time and again, fisherfolk have been on hand to rise to the occasion (remember the devastating floods of 2018?), and they are again stepping up to the plate — to protect both their livelihood and the larger environment. Front and centre of a project to address the existential issue of ocean pollution, fishermen in Kozhikode district have been hauling back waste from the deep sea along with their daily catch. The unique endeavour stems from a genuine concern for the well-being of the marine ecosystem that they and others so dearly depend on, besides a commitment to preserve the environment. The fishermen not only bring back the waste they generate when they venture out to sea, but also the plastic waste that gets caught up with their catch. Earlier, this refuse used to be discarded back to sea. Unikarmic Foundation, a nonprofit based in Chombala, The fishermen with the bags specially made to collect waste from the sea which is spearheading the initiative, has been handing out hundreds of specially designed waste bags to fishermen to collect the waste. The foundation incentivises the effort by offering fishermen the fuel required for their boats and latest fishing equipment. “Fishermen recognise the adverse effects of plastic and other debris on marine life,” says P P Baiju, one of the brains behind the effort. “Instead of focusing solely on their fishing activities, they are dedicating time and effort to collect waste that they encounter during their deep-sea excursions. This is not only a testament to the community’s dedication to environmental stewardship but also reflects a growing awareness of the urgent need to address the global crisis of ocean pollution,” said ● More on P4 Baiju.
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