OUTSTATION Sunday, February 28, 2021

RNI No. 30540/77CB/005/2021-23 Regd No.TN/WR/CB/005/WPP/2018-20 Founder Editor : A.E. Solomon Appadurai . Editor: M.N.Sudhan Appadurai . Vol.43 - No. 246 . Pages 6 . Rs. 5.00

BJP AND PMK LIKELY TO GET 22 AND 23 SEATSAIADMK begins its seat-sharing talks with allies

COIMBATORE Saturday, February 27, 2021

Hence it is important that the BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu have met the Chief Minister and the

Deputy Chief Minister. Amit Shah is scheduled to hold talks with AIADMK, PMK and DMDK.

38.

20.

Plenty of sunshine; hot with low humidity;

hazy sunshine

Clear

2 Page 3 6

National Polar bear day-February 27

Collector inaugurates arts expo

Target ball event heldPage Page

And walk in love, as christ also hath loved us- Ephesians 5.2

Uttarakhand glacier burst: Death toll rises to 72NEW DELHI,FEB.27

The death toll in the Uttarakhand glacier burst incident has reached 72 as two more bodies and 30 parts of human bodies were recovered from the debris, according to the state government on Tuesday.

"So far, 72 bodies and 30 human body parts have been recovered from different places in the avalanche hit areas out of which 40 bodies and one human body part have been identifi ed," said Chamoli district police.

DNA samples of bodies that have not been identifi ed are being preserved.

Missing reports of 205 persons have been registered at Joshimath police station so far.

DNA samples of 110 family members of missing people, 58 bodies and 28

human body parts have been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory in Dehradun for matching, it said.

Meanwhile, the rescue and search operation for missing people is underway. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel along with National Disaster Response Force and other sister agencies

have been conducting search and rescue operations in Chamoli district. A glacier burst earlier in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand triggered massive fl ooding in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers that damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project.

Year's first mission tomorrow: ISRO to lift off in 2021BENGALURU, FEB 27:

The Indian Space Research Organisation is lining up the launch of its geo-imaging satellite GISAT-1 close on the heels of tomorrow's PSLV-C51 mission.

The launch of GISAT-1 onboard GSLV-F10 rocket was originally planned for March 5 last year, but was postponed a day before the blast-off due to technical reasons.

Secretary in the Department of Space and ISRO Chairman K Sivan told news agency Press Trust of India that the technical issues have been resolved and the delay in the launch was due to COVID-19-induced lockdown which affected normal work. Chandrayaan-3 launch delayed further to 2022: ISRO

Sources in the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency told news agency PTI that ISRO is now looking at

March-end-early-April time frame for the mission from Sriharikota spaceport, about 100 km from Chennai.

According to ISRO, GISAT-1 will facilitate near real-time observation of the Indian sub-continent, under cloud-free condition, at frequent intervals.

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F10) will launch GISAT-1 from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)

SHAR, Sriharikota.Weighing about 2,268 kg, GISAT-1

is the fi rst state-of-the-art agile earth observation satellite which will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by GSLV-F10, according to ISRO offi cials.

"Subsequently, the satellite will reach the fi nal geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system", ISRO had said a few days before the planned launch in March last year.

Tomorrow, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C51) is scheduled to launch Brazil's Amazonia-1 as primary satellite and 18 co-passenger satellites from fi rst launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharkota at 10:24 am. ISRO's fi rst mission of 2021 tomorrow will be a milestone moment for both Brazil and India.

AGARTALA, FEB 27 (PTI)

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawar Chand Gehlot has said that Rs 20 crore would be allocated for setting up of a Regional Centre for empowerment of the physically challenged people in the state.

Addressing an event attended by the senior citizens and physically challenged people at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan here on Friday night, he said that the fund would be allocated within two months.

The programme was jointly organised by Artifi cial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), a public sector

enterprise and the Social Welfare Department of Tripura.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken initiative to empower the Divyangs. Similarly, the central government is committed to ensure the safety and security of senior citizens", a government press statement quoting Gehlot said.

He said the state government following a survey in February and March 2020, has identifi ed 7,729 senior citizens, who would be provided with spectacles, hearing apparatus and many other devices required for them. It was estimated that Rs 1.52 crore would be spent for the purpose. "The central government has

implemented the scheme in West and Khowai districts of the state. Tripura Chief Minister requested the central government to extend the scheme in the entire state, so we have decided to implement it in the remaining six districts. Senior citizens of all the districts of Tripura will get benefi ts under the scheme", Gehlot added.

"During my visit to Tripura last year, I had announced to set up a Composite Regional Centre in the state. The Tripura government has allotted six acres of land for the construction of a new building of the centre. A sum of Rs 20 crore will be allocated to Tripura for construction of the new building within next two months", Gehlot said.

Rs 20 crore for Regional Centre for empowerment of physically challenged in Tripura: Gehlot

NEW DELHI, FEB 27 (PTI)

The body of a 64-year-old man was found near railway tracks in Shakur Basti in west Delhi, police said on Saturday.

The deceased, identifi ed as Mundka-resident Baldev Chaudhary, was a retired railway employee, they said.

No external injury marks were found on the body, police said. Chaudhary had come to join his friend's retirement party at power house railway colony, Shakur Basti at around 11 am on Friday and left from there

about 3.30 pm, they said.He was supposed to head

to his daughter's house from there but when his family members tried to contact him, his mobile phone was found switched off. His body was later traced by his son-in-law Dharam Pal, a senior police offi cer said.

Chaudhary was wearing a silver ring in his right hand fi nger, a chain, and a wrist watch in the left hand, police said. Inquest proceedings are being carried out and the autopsy report will ascertain the exact cause of death, they said.

Body found near rail tracks in Delhi's Shakur Basti

MUMBAI, FEB 27 (PTI)

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan on Saturday arrived at the offi ce of Mumbai Police Commissioner here to record a statement in connection with his 2016 complaint about fake e-mails in his name to Kangana Ranaut, an offi cial said. Roshan reached the commissioner's offi ce in south Mumbai around 11.45 am, he said.

"The actor appeared before the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) offi cials," he added.

Roshan was summoned by theCIU of the Mumbai crime branch to record his statement, the offi cial said.

The actor had fi led a complaint in 2016 alleging that someone impersonating him was e-mailing actress Kangana Ranaut from a bogus e-mail id.

Online impersonation case: Hrithik appears before police

Code of conduct comes into force, TN parties get about a month for poll workCHENNAI,FEB.27

This will be the fi rst Assembly election for the state without prominent leaders like J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. For actor Kamal Hassan and his Makkal Needhi Maiam this will be the fi rst Assembly poll.

“The NDA alliance comprising BJP, AIADMK and PMK will hold a brainstorming session this weekend and will fi nish the seat-sharing talks in a couple of days.

We have less than a month for the candidates to complete their campaign in Assembly constituencies and from now the party poll works and the campaign will progress at full pace,” an informed AIADMK senior told.

In a couple of days BJP leaders Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit TN and fi nalise the NDA seats along with the PMK leaders, the AIADMK source said.

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Offi cer Sathyabrata Sahoo declared the implementation of the model code of conduct with immediate effect and instructed the district collectors to act as the district election offi cers and start monitoring the

poll-bound state. In a communication to the state secretaries and government department heads, the CEO said that no new project and schemes shall be started in the state in lieu of the model code of conduct.

In a new initiative, he also asked the state secretaries to submit the photocopies of registries maintained by them with a draw line mentioning the last orders.

There had been allegations that the new orders are passed with post-dated entries in the registry and to prevent such events all the secretaries should share the photocopies within two hours of the press conference conclusion by the Election Commission, read a circular issued by Sahoo.

NEW DELHI,FEB. 27"Our relation with toys

is as old as the civilisation itself. and our temples stand testimony to the rich culture of toymaking in India," he also said, adding, "Our temples stand testimony to the rich culture of toymaking in India."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the India Toy Fair via video conferencing. During the event, PM Modi interacted with toymakers from various parts of the country and said, making toys is not just a business opportunity, "but a way to strengthen the centuries-old tradition of the country."

"Our relation with toys is as old as the civilisation itself. and our temples stand testimony to the rich culture

of toymaking in India," he also said, adding, "Our temples stand testimony to the rich culture of toymaking in India."

"We used to develop toys which helped in all-round development of a child," said the prime minister while interacting with the toymakers. "Toys imbibed with Indian thought helped our children get imbued in our values," he also said.

He also highlighted how toys help children develop scientifi c temperament.

"These toys help them understand concepts like rotation etc in practical aspect," he said.

PM Modi also appealed to toymakers to make toys that are benefi cial to ecology and psychology. He also urged toymakers to minimise the use of plastics in toys and use recyclable materials.

PM Modi also raised concerns about the popularity of imported toys and said that India's heritage of artists have been ignored over the last 70 years. He further said "the imported toys brought external thoughts with them. We will have to change this situation together and be more vocal for local."

National toy action plan has been launched to make toymaking competitive

and make India more self-reliant, PM Modi also said, adding,"states will have equal participation in development of toy clusters."

The fair will be held from February 27 to March 2, 2021. It aims to bring together all stakeholders including buyers, sellers, students, teachers, designers etc on a virtual platform to create sustainable linkages and encourage dialogue for the overall development of the industry.

Over 1000 exhibitors from across 30 states and union territories will display their products in e-commerce enabled virtual exhibition. It will showcase traditional Indian toys as well as modern toys including electronic toys, plush toys, puzzles and games.

PM Modi pushes for 'vocal for local' mantra as he inaugurates India toy fair

CHENNAI,FEB.27The electoral alliance

all india talks are underway between Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It has been reported that the AIADMK has decided to allot 22 seats to the BJP and 23 seats to Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held on April 6. The vote count will take place on May 2. In this context, political parties are intensifying negotiations with their allies on constituency sharing. In that regard,

the talks on the AIADMK-BJP alliance constituency distribution started at 8.30 am on Saturday. Tamil Nadu BJP State President L Murugan, Union Minister Kishan Reddy

and Election In-charge C D Ravi were present at the fi rst round of negotiations at Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy's residence in Chennai Greenways Road.

After the talks at the Chief Minister’s residence, they also met the Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. It has been reported that the BJP has been allotted

22 seats in the AIADMK alliance in the Assembly elections. It has also been reported that the BJP is asking for constituencies where key AIADMK leaders want

to contest in the southern districts. Earlier, Kishan Reddy had said that the party would decide on the allocation of constituencies. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is about to arrive in Chennai today for a two-day visit. Hence it is important that the BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu have met the Chief Minister and the Deputy

Chief Minister. Amit Shah is scheduled to hold talks with AIADMK, PMK and DMDK. It is also noteworthy that the division of seats between AIADMK and PMK is to be fi nalized today. The AIADMK alliance consultative meeting will be held at 4.30 pm on Saturday at the Leela Palace Hotel in Chennai.

CHENNAI.FEB. 27DMK General Secretary

Duraimurugan issued a statement regarding the schedule of interviews for those who are willing to contest the election. Interviews for DMK candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held from March 2, DMK General Secretary Duraimurugan said. According to a statement issued by him on Saturday, the interview will be held from March 2 to

March 6. Interviews will be held with those who have submitted the application to contest the election. Candidates are not allowed to bring in their supporters at the time of the interview.

The statement said, “Interviews will be held on March 2 in Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, R a m a n a t h a p u r a m , Virudhunagar, Sivagangai, Dindigul and Theni districts. Interviews will be held on March 3 in Nilgiris, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri and Madurai districts and on March 4 in Dharmapuri, Namakkal and Salem districts. DMK candidates will be interviewed in a short span of time as they have to fi le nominations on March 12”.

DMK to begin interview for their candidates on March 2

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SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2021 COIMBATORE

NATIONAL POLAR BEAR DAY- FEBRUARY 27National Polar Bear Day, also

known as International Polar Bear Day, focuses our attention

on conservation efforts and learning more about the fabulous polar bear on February 27th. Polar bears can reach a height of 9 ft tall and a weight of 1400 pounds. They use their large, slightly webbed front paws to paddle as they swim.

As they are powerful swimmers, some polar bears swim hundreds of miles from land.

However, some of the distance may have been covered by fl oating on sheets of ice. The polar bears have a warming layer of fat covered by their thick coat of insulating fur, which helps them live in colder environments.

Some organizations use this day to raise awareness of the declining number of polar bears worldwide.

Many believe global warming and the consequential loss of their natural habitat threaten these beautiful creatures. Groups around the world gather together to fi nd ways to make a difference and spread information to others.Learn more about the polar bear, its environment, and how it lives.

You can do this by reading more about the polar bear or watching documentaries. Arctic Tale, directed by Sarah Robertson and Adam Ravetch, was released in 2007. Queen Latifah narrates as the documentary follows a polar bear cub named Nanu and a walrus named Seela to maturity.

The 2006 documentary The White Planet follows a year in the life of the Arctic Circle. Narrated by Jean-Louis Étienne and directed by Thierry Piantanida, Thierry Ragobert, and Jean Lemire, the fi lm earned a Genie nod for Best Feature-Length Documentary. Ice Walker: A Polar Bear’s Journey through the Fragile Arctic by James RaffanEach year, Polar Bears International sponsors National Polar Bear Day.

They have been celebrating the day since at least 2011. Polar bear cubs are born in winter in dens hidden under the snow. At birth, they are blind, weigh about one pound, and have only a light layer of fur to protect them from the cold. Families remain in the den until spring when the cubs are fi nally large enough to survive the rigors of outside

Arctic conditions.Keeping moms and cubs safe

w h i l e also addressing climate

warming is a critical part of our work

on behalf of polar bears—and

your support can make a real difference. Polar Bears International is a leader in polar bear den research, with a long history of projects and partners. The knowledge gained can make a real difference for polar bear families—providing a scientifi c framework to inform policy and help ensure critical protections.

Our long-term den emergence

studies in Alaska and Svalbard add to our understanding of moms and cubs during this sensitive time period, providing

data on their needs and vulnerabilities. Read our Q&A. One recent study focused on how denning

families react to disturbances—data that

directly relates to oil and gas development and other

human activities. The fi ndings underscore the importance of

adequate buffer zones to shield moms and cubs from harm. Learn

more about this research.Another recent study found that current den-detection surveys, conducted by the oil and gas industry to locate and hence

protect polar bear dens, have been missing over half of known dens. The high failure rate has implications for policy decisions in sensitive denning areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Watch our video on the study and see our chief scientist’s testimony to Congress about the risks to moms and cubs from proposed drilling in the Arctic

Refuge.Our team is now researching a promising new den-fi nding method, Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, that could greatly improve our ability to locate dens under the snow, helping to identify and protect denning areas to ensure the safety of moms and cubs.

Your gift will fund this critical research.About 60% of polar bears live in Canada, from Labrador to the Yukon and from Ellesmere Island to James Bay.Its Latin name,Ursus maritimus, means ‘sea bear.” Sea bear seems like a pretty apt name for a species that live and hunt mainly on the Arctic sea ice! They mainly eat seals, but will also catch and eat seabirds and even small whales.Typically, an adult male polar bear is an astonishing 6-10 feet long and weighs between 780 and 1,500 pounds! Polar bears are good swimmers, their body fat help them fl oat and they use their large forepaws to paddle and sometimes use their hind legs as rudders.

Polar bears thick under-fur, guard hairs, and ability to store signifi cant fat keep them warm and powered up over the cold winter months. Their massive paws spread their weight evenly to keep them from falling through snow and thin ice.Polar bears have three eyelids,

the third helps protect the bear’s eyes from the elements.Polar bears have translucent fur that appears white, but underneath their fur, their skin is black.

They also have a blue tongue! They have 42 razor sharp teeth. With jagged back teeth and canines larger than grizzly teeth!.Climate change is causing sea ice to melt much earlier in the year and return later, meaning polar bears have less time on ice to hunt seals, their favourite prey. This can lead to thinner bears, reduced cub survival, and a decrease in the overall polar bear population.

Organized by Polar Bears International, Polar Bear Day aims to raise awareness of the plight of polar bears and the threats they face, including disruption to denning and the effects of climate change. Commercial activities such as oil and gas exploration, shipping, mining and tourism have been affecting the polar bear’s habitat and ability to survive, in particular by encroaching on the terrain that mother bears use to build dens and raise their cubs. Alongside these industries competing for precious space in the Arctic, the polar ice cap on which the bears depend is also melting due to climate change

Sarah Robertson and Adam Ravetch, was released in 2007. Queen Latifah narrates as the documentary follows a polar bear cub named Nanu and a walrus named Seela to maturity.

The 2006 documentary The White Planet follows a year in the life of the Arctic Circle. Narrated by Jean-Louis Étienne and directed by Thierry Piantanida, Thierry Ragobert, and Jean Lemire, the fi lm earned a Genie nod for Best Feature-Length Documentary. Ice Walker: A

International sponsors National

warming is a critical part of our work

on behalf of polar bears—and

data on their needs

disturbances—data that directly relates to oil and

gas development and other human activities. The fi ndings

underscore the importance of adequate buffer zones to shield

moms and cubs from harm. Learn more about this research.

Another recent study found that current den-detection surveys, conducted by the oil and gas industry to locate and hence

6 test positive for corona in MizoramAIZAWL, FEB 27 (PTI)

At least six people, includingthree children aged between 1 and 11 years, have tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mizoram taking the state's tally to 4,419, a health department offi cial said on Friday. Of the six fresh cases, 4 cases were reported from Aizawl district and one each from Champhai and Saitual districts, he said.

While one patient had returned from Manipur, the remaining four have no travel history, he said. Three patients have developed symptoms of Covid-19, while the rest three were asymptomatic.

According to the offi cial, the number of active cases now stands at 27, while 4,382 people have already recovered from the virus. The recovery rate is 99.17 per cent, he said. The COVID-19 toll in the state is 10.

B'desh High Commissioner meets SonowalGUWAHATI, FEB 27 (PTI)

Bangladesh High Commissioner to

India Muhammad Imran called on Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal here on Friday and discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral interest.

The chief minister highlighted issues concerning bilateral trade and commerce of mutual interest of both Bangladesh and Assam, an offi cial release said.

Sonowal said that both Assam and Bangladesh should work to explore markets in their respective territories for mutual benefi t, particularly in areas of agriculture, agricultural products, information technology and textiles.

BJP's double-engine analogy will be non-starter in Bengal: TMCKOLKATA, FEB 27 (PTI)

Taking a dig at the BJP for pitching that governments formed by the same party both at the Centra and the state will accelerate development in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress Friday said the double-engine analogy by the saffron party will be a non-starter in the state.

Senior party leader and minister Bratya Basu told reporters at a press meet here here that while campaigning for the upcoming assembly polls in the state, BJP leaders are highlighting the need for same party's government both at the Centre and the state.

"This double-engine train will not have bogies for the common man to ride. These engines must be driven at a very slow pace on chord lines, if you take into account the number of killings, attacks on dalits and women in BJP-ruled states," he said. "....

they are not saying how their government(BJP) is working on the agenda to hand over railways to private parties. The saffron party wants to do something similar for Bengal.

They only work to fulfi ll the interest of big corporate," the minister said. Castigating he BJP for allegedly making false promise to Matua community members while doing little to stop discrimination among lower castes, Basu said that in BJP-ruled states like UP and Madhya Pradesh, the backward castes are not given equal treatment vis-a-vis

upper castes."They(backward caste members) are discriminated while being served food, which is never practiced in Bengal," he said.

During a recent meeting at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district of the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured members of the Matua community about providing citizenship to them.

"While the Matuas are already citizens in the country, BJP leaders are making promises to enforce Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) before the Matuas at meetings after vaccination for COVID-19 gets over. This is akin to total eradication of infl uenza, pneumonia and other virus-borne diseases in the world which will never happen," he said.

Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the

creation of Bangladesh. Many of them have been accorded Indian citizenship but a sizeable section of the population has not got it. The Matua community, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party. It once stood behind the TMC but had supported the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.Asked about the slated announcement of assembly poll dates by the Election Commission, Basu said, "We are ready.

We have no problems with the number of phases to be declared by the poll panel.

"We have been with the people for 365 days in past 10 years. We have been working for them.

The fi rst boy in the class is never afraid of exams as he has studied throughout the year. Those who had never been on the side of people are afraid of exams."

BHUBANESWAR, FEB 27 (PTI)

Odisha Assembly was Friday adjourned till post-lunch session after a BJP lawmaker threatened suicide and the Congress Legislature party leader sat on dharna in the well of the House demanding immediate procurement of paddy from farmers in different mandis of the state.

The issue was raised during the question hour when BJP MLA from Deogarh, Subash Chandra Panigrahi announced that he will not hesitate to immolate himself to protest against the sufferings of the farmers who are not able to sell their paddy in the mandis following the introduction of the centralised token system.

Farmers are given tokens to sell their paddy before it is harvested.

By the time the paddy is ready for sale, the tenure of the tokens are found to have elapsed causing

harassment to them.This has led to hundreds of farmers to protest and put up road blocakdes in the state, he said.

Sitting on a dharna in the well of the House, Panigrahi said: I will immolate myself if the procurement process is not streamlined and the produce of the farmers are procured at the earliest. He said,

"The farmers in my constituency are threatening to commit sucide as they are not being able to sell their paddy.

Therefore, when the farmers are getting prepared to go for self-immolation, I as their representative have no choice but to adopt the same procedure to protest against the governments inability to procure paddy.

Panigrahi, however, returned to his seat after Speaker S N Patro asured him that he will be given opportunity to raise the issue durinmg the zero hour.

Odisha Assembly adjourned after BJP lawmaker threatens suicide

Two LeT overground workers held in J-K's BandiporaSRINAGAR, FEB 27 (PTI)

Security forces arrested two overground workers of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police said. "Acting on specifi c information, police, Army and CRPF apprehended two terrorist associates of proscribed terrorist outfi t LeT at Bonikhan Mohalla of Hajin Town," a police spokesman said.

He said the security forces recovered arms, ammunition from their possession which include two hand grenades and eight live rounds of AK 47.

Those arrested have been identifi ed as Ghulam Mohi-Ud-din Khan and Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, the spokesman said.

"On preliminary inquiry, it was revealed that the accused were associated with LeT and were providing shelter, logistics and other material support to active terrorists of the LeT in Sumbal and Hajin area," he said.

Discussion and dialogue solution to all problemsSHILLONG, FEB 27 (PTI)

Constructive discussion and dialogue is the way to resolve all problems in a democracy, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Friday.

He was speaking at the launch of the second leg of the 'Outreach and Familiarisation Programme' for the local bodies of Meghalaya and other north-eastern states.

"In a democratic setup, solution to all problems can be achieved through constructive discussion and dialogue," Birla said.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, who is on his maiden visit to the region, added that strengthening the process of discussion and dialogue was the purpose of his visit.

The speciality of our democracy is that there is dialogue and discussion, but our effort is to prevent that discussion from coming to a halt. Difference of opinion and disagreement is part of our democracy. And that is why as the Lok Sabha Speaker, I try to

ensure that the discussion and dialogue continues without any obstruction," he told reporters. Birla said democratic discussion and dialogue would allow all institutions, be it panchayat raj institutions or autonomous district councils, to address the issues facing the masses, and suggested the formulation of a nation-wide system of sharing knowledge, experience and best practices .

There are a number of villages, village panchayats in our country which have chalked out ideal, social and economic models for all-round development as per their specifi c geographical and socio-economic conditions and established best practices to follow.

India-Pakistan agreement on ceasefire rekindles hope for peaceful future among border residentsJAMMU, FEB 27 (PTI)

The announcement by India and Pakistan to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefi re along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors has rekindled hope for a peaceful future among border residents in Jammu and Kashmir who have been living under constant fear of fi ring and shelling. Isaaq hoped that Pakistan would keep its promise of complete observance of the ceasefi re agreement.

"We hope Pakistan keeps the promise of not fi ring on us. We do not feel that they will religiously observe ceasefi re. They have made such promises in the past as well, only to violate them," he said.For the past few years, Pakistan has engaged in shelling and fi ring along the LoC and the International Border (IB) resulting in casualties, damage to houses, schools, health centres and

religious places."We have suffered a lot

to due Pakistani fi ring and shelling.... Education of kids was affected. Houses were damaged. There were casualties. The fresh agreement of maintaining complete ceasefi re is a happy news for us. Hope it stays," Sarpanch Bhawani in Rajouri district Sunil Kumar said.

Subash Chander, a Panch, said although they are very happy over the news, but it is

diffi cult to trust Pakistan.Similar apprehension

was raised by Kerni-resudent Mohmmad Ashraf who welcomed the fresh agreement but raised question over the intention of Pakistan.

Kiran Kumar, a Kathua District Development Council (DDC) member, says that it is a happy news for border residents.

"We thank the central government for this

decision. We want Pakistan to behave as a good neighbour by ensuring zero fi ring from their side. Farmers will fearlessly cultivate their lands on border. Life will be better," he said.

India and Pakistan on Thursday announced that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefi re along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.

"We are joyous over the news of a fresh

agreement between the two countries to observe complete ceasefi re along

the borderline. It has rekindled hope among

us," Kalal-resident Mohmmad Isaaq said.

Mercury settles above normal level in DelhiNEW DELHI, FEB 27 (PTI)

The national capital witnessed a warm Friday with mist in the morning even as the minimum temperature settled at 15.2 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average, the meteorological department said. The maximum temperature was recorded at 33 degrees Celsius.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it will be partly cloudy on Saturday in Delhi.Partly cloudy sky.

Mist in the morning. Strong surface winds with a speed of 20-30 kmph likely during the day.

The maximum and the minimum temperatures would be around 33 and 16 degrees Celsius respectively, the IMD said.

On Thursday, the maximum temperature settled at 33.2 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 13.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average.

Five officers from outside J-K posted in UTJAMMU, FEB 27 (PTI)

Four IAS offi cers and one IRS offi cial, who were brought from outside Jammu and Kashmir under inter-cadre transfer, were posted in the Union Territory during a minor reshuffl e by the administration on Friday.

According to an order issued by Commissioner-secretary General Administration Department (GAD) Manoj Dwivedi, the transfer of nine offi cers, including six IAS, one IRS and two KAS offi cers, was undertaken with immediate effect. IRS offi cer Alok

Kumar, UP-cadre IAS offi cers Rahul Pandey and Krittika Jyotsna, Rajasthan cadre IAS offi cer Athar Aamir UI Shafi and IAS offi cer Akshay Labroo, who were posted here on Friday, are on three years deputation to Jammu and Kashmir. On Thursday,

the 1989-batch Indian Railway Traffi c Service (IRTS) offi cer Rajan Prakash Thakur was appointed as principal secretary Industries and Commerce department in Jammu and Kashmir, the order said. Ranjan Prakash Thakur, IRTS, awaiting

orders of adjustment in the general administration department (GAD), has been posted as principal secretary to the government, Industries and Commerce department, Dwivedi said in the order. Alok Kumar, IRS, awaiting orders of adjustment in the GAD, is posted as Principal Secretary to the government, Youth Services and Sports department, the order said. Sarmad Hafeez (IAS) administrative secretary, Youth Services and Sports department, holding additional charge of Administrative Secretary, Tourism and Culture.

Kishnagiri District collector Jayachandra Banu presiding over a farmers grievance redressal meeting

held at Krishnagiri District Collectorate Yesterday. District Revenue offi cer Satheesh and other offi cials

participated in the meeting.

A consultative meeting was held at the Dharmapuri District Collectorate under District Collector and District Election offi cer Karthika to discuss the arrangements

to be made for the forth coming assembly election with maximum of 1050 voters to vote in each polling booth. Other Department offi cials also took part in the meeting

TMC forms 12-member committee for Bengal pollsKOLKATA, FEB 27 (PTI)

The Trinamool Congress on Friday announced a 12-member election committee that will look into the selection of candidates and plan a campaign for the upcoming assembly polls.

The panel will be headed by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, party's secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said after its core committee meeting.Senior party leaders, MPs and MLAs are other members of the committee, he said.

Subrata Bakshi, Abhishek Banerjee, Sudip Banerjee, Derek O Brien, Sougata Roy and C M Jatua are members of the election panel.

3SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2021 COIMBATORE

CHENNAI FEB 27To counter increasing

violence and bullying at school, Tiger Krunch realized the importance of familiarising kids with Self- defence through Martial Arts which builds mental and physical strength and resilience to counter confl ict situations.

It was done in an entertaining way, with Sonu Sood, the campaign ambassador taking children on a virtual tour around the globe to familiarize them with 5 different forms of Martial Arts- (1) Israel - Krav Maga (2) Japan - Judo (3) Brazil - Jujitsu (4) India - Kalaripayattu (5) Korea - Taekwondo.

Talking about the campaign and the association with Bollywood action star, Sonu Sood, Mr. Vinay Subramanyam, Britannia Industries Ltd. said, “ The Krunch Khao, Punch Dikhao campaign is an attempt to

empower children to be their best, stay safe in confl ict situations and build physical and mental strength. Martial art forms teach kids self defence and also valuable life skills such as discipline, focus, self-esteem,and goal orientation.” He further added, “And who better than Sonu Sood to teach children these values and inspire them to face any challenge that life throws their way with sheer grit and perseverance.”

To take the campaign to the masses, Britannia Tiger Krunch has also collaborated with Udemy – a leading global learning platform. This association will enable youngsters to take special online courses ranging between 40 minutes to 7 hours on the fi ve martial art forms at discounted rates starting from Rs. 525.

View the complete series here - http://www.krunchkhaopunchdikhao.com/

Britannia Tiger launches campaign to teach children lessons in self-defence

MUMBAI FEB 27Knight Frank, an

international property consultancy, in The Wealth Report 2021 cited that India’s ultra-high-networth individuals (UHNWIs) population, those with US$30 million or more, is expected to grow by 63% in the next fi ve years to 11,198.

Currently India has 6,884 UHNWIs and 113 billionaires. The billionaires club in India is expected to increase signifi cantly by 43% to 162 by 2025. The growth will outpace the global average growth of 24% and Asia average of 38% during the period. According to the report, an individual requires US$ 60,000 to join the wealthiest 1% club in India. The wealth growth forecasts predict India’s threshold of 1% the wealthiest club to almost double in the next fi ve years.

In terms of passions led investment, jewellery is the most preferred object of desire for Indian UHNWIs, followed by art, watches, wine and classic cars. In line with global

trends, Indian UHNWIs too cited a higher preference for wine, compared to rare whisky in 2020.

The Wealth Report 2021, 1 out of 5 of India’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) plan to buy a new home in 2021.

Globally, 43% of UHNWIs are more interested in environmental, social and governance (ESG) focused investments than 12 months ago. In India, 46% of ultra-wealthy Indians are interested in ESG focused property investments. However, awareness on ESG focused property investments is still evolving and 89% of Indian UHNWIs feel they need more information to assess ESG related investment opportunities.

Shishir Baijal, Chairman & Managing Director, Knight Frank India said “The new economic opportunities will help bring lucrative wealth creation assets which may add new wealthy individuals in the country.”

India’s UHNWI population to grow by 63% over the next five years: Knight Frank Wealth Report 2021

ERODE FEB 27: Many TNSTC workers

staged a demonstration at Sathy condemning the management of the Transport Corporation for falsely claiming that 90 percent of government buses were operating in the state.

Workers of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) have been on strike for a second day, demanding pay hike, cash benefi ts for retired workers, DA and leave surrender benefi ts. Due to this, the public traveling by bus has been severely affected.

In this connection, the transport workers staged stir, stressing the demands. They claimed only 10 percent of government buses are currenty functioning in Tamil Nadu. Out of the total 85 buses at the Sathyamangalam depot, only 17 buses were operated on Friday. Operating buses with temporary workers would endanger the lives of public, they feared.

Transport workers stage demo at Sathy

ERODE, FEB 27: Rehabilitation work

of Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) will be carried out under the name of Keezbavani Canal Expansion, Reconstruction and Modernization Project. Offi cials said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs 933.10 crore project to be carried out with NABARD infrastructure development fund in Coimbatore on Thursday. The purpose of this project is to save water in a timely manner for irrigation. Under this project, 741 culverts in the downstream irrigation system will be renovated, reconstructed, 83 culverts, 2 bridges and 8 tank bridges will be renovated.

In addition, renovation of 35 drainage structures, reconstruction of 141 drainage structures and reconstruction of 2 regulators will be carried out. Reconstruction of 32 bridges, reconstruction of 15 bridges and construction of 34,865 meter fl ood barrier will be carried out.

Guaranteed irrigation facility will be available for 2,47,247 acres of irrigated land in Erode, Tiruppur and Karur districts. Apart from this project, 8 dams across the Bhavani River and its tributaries will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 93 crore, they added.

Nabard fund to modernise LBP canals

HYDERABAD, FEB 27 (PTI)

Bharat Biotech will supply 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin to Brazil during the second and third quarters of current year, the city-based vaccine maker said on Friday. It has signed an agreement with the Brazilian government for the supply of the indigenously developed vaccine, a press release from the company said here.

"The company is delighted to partner with Brazil in its battle against Covid-19 and aid its immunisation programme against the virus. It has signed an agreement for delivery of Covaxin during Q2 and Q3 2021," it said.

Several countries around the world have expressed strong interest in Covaxin and the company was fully committed to ensuring supplies promptly and effi ciently, the release added. Bharat Biotech had earlier said it signed an agreement with Brazil-based Precisa Medicamentos for the supplies of Covaxin for the private markets inthe South American country.

Bharat Biotech signs pact to supply 20 mn doses of Covaxin to Brazil

ERODE, FEB 27: Collector C Kathiravan

inaugurated a 2-day painting/sculpture expo of arts and culture department at Kongu Kalaiarangam, Sampath Nagar, Erode on Friday. In his speech, he said that the department was holding this kind of expo in 10 districts every year. This year, the expo was held at Erode on behalf of the Coimbatore zone comprising Erode, Nilgiris and Tirupur districts.

World famous Mamallapuram sculptures, Tanjore Big Temple, Gangaikonda Chozhapuram Temple, Chithannavasal Paintings, Tanjore Paintings, Paintings of various temples etc revealed the value of our ancient culture, arts, architecture and tradition,

etc to the world. In the expo, the products of 30 best artists were kept, he said and appealed to the people and children to visit it to get due benefi t.

He distributed Rs 3500 each, Rs 2500 each, 1500 each as I, II, III prize to 10 artists in each category for displaying their best works in the expo and also Rs 35000 to 2 folk artists as natural death benefi t. At the inaugural, music and dance programmes of Boomithai Arts Group, Gobi, Anusuya Folk Art Groups, Coimbatore SR Krishnamurthy, R a t h n a k u m a r i Kalyanasundaram were held. At the valedictory at 4 pm on Saturday, Thindal Mahalingam troupes therukoothu and Sivalayam

Kalaikoodam R Vijay’s dance programme will be held. Arts and culture department

zonal assistant director P Hemanathan, district government music school

HM MN Sathyamurthy and many offi cials attended the function.

Collector inaugurates arts expo

Erode Collector C Kathiravan inspected Chinniampalayam, Lakkapuram Pudhur, Karuthupalayam PU school, Muthugoundanpalayam village library, 46 Pudhur Periyasettipalayam in Modakurichi segment to study the prospect of creating additional booths and inquired basic amenities in the booths there. Erode RDO

Sybudheen, Modakurichi segment presiding offi cer P Jayarani and deputy collector (training) Sangeetha were present on the occasion.

ERODE, FEB 27: Five young innovators

have been selected for sanctioning a grant of Rs.47.2 lakh under NIDHI PRAYAS Scheme for developing ideas into prototypes in the Kongu Engineering College (KEC)’s Technology Business Incubators (Kongu-TBI).

As on date, a total grant of Rs.2.33 crore has been sanctioned to 27 innovators, including 3 women, under the scheme, to use the TBI. P.Sachithanandan, Correspondent-KEC and Dr.V.Balusamy, Principal-KEC presented the sanction orders and 1st instalment cheque to the beneficiaries-S.Shanmuga Vadivel, R.Augustine, J.Radhakrishnan, Abhay Swamy and J.K.Ajesh.

The Correspondent said that the funding assistance has been provided under the PRAYAS scheme i.e. “Promating and Accelerating Young and Aspiring innovators & Startups” which has been sanctioned by Department of Science and Technology/ Government of India (DST/GoI) under the “National Initiative For Developing and Harnessing

Innovations” (NIDHI) programme. DST has provided a grant of Rs.1 crore for the establishment of PRAYAS FAB lab consisting of 3D printer & scanner, CNC Router & Laser, PCB Milling Machine, SMT Pick & Place Machine, PCB Printer etc., and Rs.5 crore grant to support young aspiring entrepreneurial students,

graduates and early stage startups with innovative, technically feasible and commercially viable ideas addressing the needs of the society.

Under this scheme, a maximum of Rs.10 lakhs grant can be availed for a project.

As on date, the prayasees supported under this scheme have won 10 awards, fi led 11 Patents, got 5 patents granted. Also, they have raised Rs.1.15 crore as follow-on funding and created nearly 136 jobs. TBI@KEC provides a golden opportunity to budding entrepreneurs to convert their dreams into reality. Interested innovators may approach TBI@KEC or visit www.tbi-kec.org for more details, he said.

Kongu TBI sanctions Rs.47.2 lakh aid to young innovators

ERODE, FEB 27: Many ryots of Lower

Bhavani Canal Project staged a demonstration at Thalavumalai, near Chennimalai, on Friday, in protest against the government move to concretise the canal on the fear of that it would hit the seepages from the canal and percolation of water into the land, leading to drinking water scarcity in many areas of Erode, Karur and Tirupur districts.

The PM laid foundation for the Rs 934 crore canal modernisation project at a function held at Coimbatore on Thursday. But the ryots staged a demonstration against the project at Chennimalai on Feb 12.

Today’s stir was led by the Murungathozhuvu former panchayat president M Ravi, TN farmers association secretary Sengottaiyan, and Iyarkai Vazhvurimai movement organizer Podaran.

Many women attended the stir with empty pots and raised slogans against the project. The ryots association leaders said that concretisation of the entire canal would hit over 1 lakh acre in getting seepage water in the 3 districts and another 1 lakh acre on the right bank of the canal, which were depending on 38 water harnessing projects, would also suffer without water. Above all, the ground water level would be badly hit due to blocking of seepages from the canal. Many areas of the

3 districts were already hit due to the pollution problem caused by the Tirupur textile dyeing units in the Noyyal river. So, such areas would face drinking water problem if the canal is concretised, arresting the percolation of water into the earth. So, drinking water problem would become acute in the areas, they feared. Above all, the project was envisaged without consulting the LBP ryots. They rejected the government contention of that lot of water fl owing in

the earthern canal was being wasted into the sea due to seepages from it by stating that such water improves the ground water level and the surplus water reaches the Cauvery river only and goes to the delta ryots.

Many fromTirupur district also attended the stir. They planned to hold similar stir at Ayyampalayam, near Chennimalai on Saturday, Valliarachal in Tiruppur district on Sunday, Thittampalayam on Monday and Nallampatti on Tuesday.

Ryots stage stir against LBP canal concretisation project

ERODE, FEB 27: On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Medical Society and Barbers'

Welfare Association, barbers across TN closed their shops on Friday, demanding 5 per cent quota for them in jobs and educational opportunities, PCR legislation and legal protection. In the district, more than 1000 shops were remain closed. To press the demand, they, led by association president Natarajan, staged a demonstration at Erode.

Hairdressers close shops

ERODE, FEB 27: The waiting stir of the members of the TN anganwadi

workers and helpers union at the Erode taluk offi ce, which entered into 5th day on Friday, was postponed today afternoon. They demanded retirement benefi t of Rs 10 and 5 lakh to workers and helpers, promotions, time scale and fi lling up of all vacancies etc. The cooked food in the area itself. Today, the functionaries of DMK, and VCK visited the spot and expressed their support to the agitation. But, today afternoon, they postponed the stir.

Anganwadi workers postpone stir

ERODE, FEB 27: Around 50 percent of

buses did not ply in Erode district while the strike of the TNSTC workers entered into 2nd day.

The opposition TUs demanded signing of new wage pact, government subsidy for TNSTC, settling

the retirement benefi t of workers, not utilizing the workers savings for the administration of TNSTC, etc.

The TNSTC would normally operate 720 buses from 13 depots in the district. Due to the strike, the ruling AIADMK’s Trade Union-ATP members

alone came to workspot. While all private buses were functioning as usual, nearly 50 percent of TNSTC buses were alone plying, leading to great hardship to people. Meanwhile, the TUs staged a demonstration in front of the TNSTC head offi ce at Erode to press their charter of demands.

50 percent of buses off the road

Govt first grade colleges in Karnataka to be provided with de-bonded desktop computers

As part of the initiative, Cognizant

has volunteered to provide 12,500

de-bonded Desktop Computers which

would be distributed among the colleges to

establish computer Labs for the use of

students, the release said.

NEW DELHI, FEB 27 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and Union

Home Minister Amit Shah will address public meetings in poll-bound Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Sunday. Party leaders said Shah will also take organisational meetings in both Tamil Nadu and

Puducherry. Shah will leave for Tamil Nadu on Saturday and is scheduled to hold a public meeting in Karaikal in Puducherry on Sunday morning, followed by a 'Vijay Sankalp Rally' in Janakipuram in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu, according to the schedule released by his offi ce. Besides this, Shah will also hold organisational meetings of the party's units of the state and the Union Territory. The BJP is contesting assembly elections in Tamil Nadu in alliance with ruling AIADMK.

Amit Shah to address public meetings in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on Sunday

NEW DELHI, FEB 27 (PTI)

An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Delhi Police allegedly shot himself dead with his service pistol in a PCR van while he was on duty at Zakhira fl yover in west Delhi on Saturday morning, offi cials said.

The ASI, Tej Pal (55), was attached with the Police Control Room (PCR) unit. He was residing in Rajnagar in Ghaziabad, they said. Police were informed about the incident at around 7 am, they said, adding no suicide note was recovered from the spot. The ASI allegedly shot himself in the chest, a senior police offi cer said. He was rushed to ABG hospital by the PCR van driver where he was declared brought dead, he said.

Delhi Police ASI shoots himself dead inside PCR van

NEW DELHI, FEB 27 (PTI) A charred body was recovered after a fi re broke out

at a factory in North Delhi's Pratap Nagar area in the early hours of Saturday, a Delhi Fire Service offi cial said.

One of the fi remen suffered minor injury on his fi nger during the fi re-fi ghting operation but was given fi rst aid at the spot, the offi cial said. A call about the blaze was received at around 3.47 am and 18 fi re tenders were pressed into service, he said. Later, 10 more fi re tenders were rushed to the spot and the fl ames were doused while the cooling process is under way, he added. The fi re broke out on the fi rst fl oor of the factory and spread to the second fl oor. Plastic and nail polish materials stored in the factory caught fi re and a charred body was recovered from the fi rst fl oor, said Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Service. The cause of the blaze is being ascertained, he said.

Fire at factory in Delhi's Pratap Nagar, one dead

BENGALURU, FEB 27 (PTI)

The government fi rst-grade colleges in Karnataka will be provided with 12,500 De-Bonded desktop computers as part of the Help Educate, a public- private initiative taken up by the Department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE), offi cials said.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Friday by the DCTE, Cognizant Technology Solutions India Pvt Ltd and the Rotary Club, the offi ce of Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, who holds the Higher Education portfolio, said.

The initiative has the prime objective of

facilitating the learning of students of Government First Grade Colleges and making a difference in the learning of students, most of whom hail from a socio-economically marginalised background, it said. Under the Help Educate initiative, the DCTE has been partnering with MNCs and philanthropists to educate and train students for employment, train professors in modern methodology through faculty development

programmes and digital teaching. It would also equip government colleges with digital assets to adopt digital learning which is both a recent trend and also an inviolable necessity of times. As part of the initiative, Cognizant has volunteered to provide 12,500 de-bonded Desktop Computers which would be distributed among the colleges to establish computer Labs for the use of students, the release said.

The Rotary Club, Bangalore has offered to install Windows OS and Offi ce 365 and transport and install these Desktops to respective destinations, it said.

4 SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2021 COIMBATORE

Indian men's skeet team wins bronze in ISSF World Cup

CAIRO, FEB 27 (PTI) The Indian trio of Mairaj

Ahmed Khan, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and Gurjoat Khangura won the bronze medal in men's skeet team event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup here. The Indians beat the Kazakhstan team of David Pochivalov, Eduard Yechshenko and Alexandr Mukhamediyev 6-2 in the bronze medal match on the third competition day of the International Shooting Sport Federation tournament. The trio reached the bronze medal match when they combined to shoot a score of 491 after the qualifi cation stage comprising seven rounds of 25 shots each on Friday evening here.

They could have made it to the fi nals too, but lost a shoot-off to the Russians 6-5. Bajwa was the star of the bronze medal match, hitting all his 16 targets. Russia won the gold medal, beating the Czech Republic 6-0 in the fi nals.

The Indian women's team, comprising Ganemat Sekhon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Karttiki Singh Shaktawat, also made it to the bronze medal match, but lost out to the Kazakhs narrowly with the fi nal score reading 4-6. Kazakhstan were represented by Olga Panarina, Rinata Nassyrova and Assem Orynbay. They had earlier shot 462 to qualify for the bronze medal match. Here too, Russia won the gold and the Czech Republic the silver with the result going 6-2 in favour of the champions. Earlier on the second competition day in the Egyptian capital, Indian shooter Gurjoat narrowly missed out on a chance to advance to the fi nals of the men's individual skeet competition.

Despite two solid fi nal qualifi cation rounds of 24 and 25, Gurjoat's score added up to 119 at the end of fi ve rounds, giving him a credible 10th place fi nish.

More India is allowed to get away, more toothless ICC will look: Vaughan

NorthEast United qualify for play-offs with best-ever league finishVASCO, FEB 27 (PTI)

NorthEast United FC sealed a playoff berth with a 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters in an Indian Super League match at the Tilak Maidan here on Friday.

Needing just a point to qualify for their second-ever playoffs, the Highlanders showed no signs of stopping as they attacked from the fi rst whistle. They scored both their goals in the fi rst half through Suhair Vadakkepeedika (34th) and Lalengmawia (45th).Khalid Jamil also created history by becoming the fi rst Indian to coach three or more league games and guide a side to the playoffs.

Jamil fi elded an unchanged XI from their previous game while Kerala Blasters had one change with Sandeep Singh preferred over Subha Ghosh.The Highlanders got a great opportunity soon after the start. Luis Machado sent in a delivery into the box, which was headed out straight back to him. His

cross from the right found Dylan Fox but he shot wide.

At the other end, it was Kerala who missed getting ahead in the game. Bakary Kone managed to evade his marker and to get to the end of a Jessel Carneiro corner, but his header missed the target.

Though NorthEast were clearly the better side in the fi rst session, Kerala Blasters did have their chances. But the Highlanders' defence stood strong. Then, in the 34th minute, NorthEast took the lead.

Khassa Camara slipped in a through ball which Kone failed to deal with. Suhair Vadakkepeedika got on to the ball and got past Sandeep Singh, before rounding off an advancing Albino Gomes, to put his side ahead.

Cook slams Kohli's assessment of Motera pitch

LONDON, FEB 27 (PTI)

Former England captain Alastair Cook on Friday questioned Virat Kohli's stance on the Motera pitch and said the India skipper "defended the wicket almost as if it's a BCCI thing".

Disagreeing with Kohli's assessment of the third Test that ended with India crushing England by 10 wickets inside two days,

Cook said batting was near impossible on the newly laid strip at the refurbished stadium in Ahmedabad.

"Virat Kohli's come out and defended the wicket almost as if it's a BCCI thing -- it cannot possibly be the wicket.

Yet it was so hard to bat on that. So hard," Cook told

"Take the wicket out and blame the batsmen?" Cook asked, referring to Kohli's assessment of the pitch that it's a "very good pitch to bat on -- especially in the fi rst innings".

"To be honest, I don't think the quality of batting was up to standards. We were 100 for 3 and bowled out for less than 150.

It was just that the odd ball turning and it was a good wicket to bat in the fi rst innings," the India skipper had said in his defence of the pitch after the match.

Only two batsmen -- one each from both sides -- could score a half century as 28 wickets fell to the spinners on a Motera pitch that many players felt was not ideal for a Test match.

The likes of Sunil Gavaskar, however, credited the spinners rather than blaming the pitch. Cook added,

Tamil Nadu defeated Jharkhand by 67 runs at the Daly College Ground in Indore on Friday to keep its hopes of qualifying for the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts alive.

3rd Test: Gavaskar, Boycott defend Motera pitchAHAMADABAD FEB 27

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said that the reason for the match ending inside two days is that the batsmen were unable to play spin rather than the pitch. The pitch that was used for the third Test between India and England here has drawn polarised reactions from commentators and former players. India thrashed England by 10 wickets inside two days. It was the lone day-night Test in the four-match series.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said that the reason for the match ending inside two days is that the

batsmen were unable to play spin rather than the pitch.

"You need to use the depth of your crease [to play spin]. So, there comes your footwork. On fast bouncy pitches it is more a matter of your courage. These

kinds of pitches, it is a test of your skill," Gavaskar said during television commentary. "Which is the reason the batsmen who can score runs on these pitches, are the real batsmen."

Former India captain

Sachin Tendulkar said during the fi rst day's play that he wouldn't be surprised if the pitch did not change colour during the match due to the stadium's proximity to the Sabarmati river.

"I have noticed that the Sabarmati river's close proximity to the ground, will continue to bring in moisture. As a result of this, don't be surprised if the colour of the wicket continues to remain the same throughout the game. #INDvENG," Tendulkar tweeted. Interestingly, England batting great Geoffrey Boycott said that it was a simple case of India being

better than England. "There is nothing in the rules that says what type of pitch should be prepared. We had fi rst choice of the surface and they were better than us. Simple," the former England captain said in a tweet. Alastair Cook, the last England captain to beat India in a Test series in India, in 2012-13, said that he was surprised to hear India skipper Virat Kohli's opinion on the pitch being good for batsmen.

"Virat Kohli's come out and defended the wicket almost as if it's a BCCI thing -- it cannot possibly be the wicket. Yet it was so hard to bat on that today.

Delhi to host Vijay Hazare knockouts from March 7MUMBAI, FEB 27 (PTI)

The knockout matches of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, the national ODI championship, will be held in Delhi from March 7.The matches will be organised at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and the Palam Ground."...Kindly note that the knock-out stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21 will be played at New Delhi from March 7," stated a mail sent from the BCCI secretary's offi ce to all the affi liated state units on February 25, a copy of which is in possession of PTI.Currently the league stage of the tournament is

being played in bio-secure bubbles at different venues across the country.The teams have been divided into fi ve Elite Groups and one Plate Group.As per the BCCI website, the pre-quarter fi nal (Eliminator) will be played on March 7, while the quarter-fi nals will be played on March 8 and March 9. The two semi-fi nals will be staged on March 11 while the summit clash will be played on March 14. This is the second domestic tournament conducted by the BCCI in the curtailed 2020-21 domestic season, following the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the national T20 championship.

CIIE welcomes more consumer goods companiesSHANGHAI, FEB. 27

For foreign consumer goods companies eyeing the Chinese market, the best way to do so is to sign up for the Consumer Goods Exhibition Area of the China International Import Expo. The expo provides a golden opportunity for its exhibitors, of which many are Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders, where they can meet hundreds of thousands of buyers and ink deals.

In the past three years, the CIIE has delivered numerous success stories for businesses and there are more to come.

At CIIE, businesses can showcase their Asian and global product debuts. The third edition unveiled 411 new products, technologies and services, 73 of which made their global debut. Tentative deals worth 72.62 billion for one-year purchases of goods and services were agreed to at the event.

The biggest names in the global consumer goods industry, such as the Swiss luxury brand Richemont, New York-based luxury house Tapestry, world-renowned

jewelry and accessories brand Swarovski, and Italy's fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana attended the CIIE last year.

Over the past three editions, catering to the increasing demand from global businesses, the scale of the exhibition area has continued to grow, from 30,000 square meters in 2018 to 90,000

square meters in 2020.Many companies report

seeing solid results through attending this global trade fair. It was through the expo that third-time exhibitor L'Or al introduced its new brand, which was ranked No 1 in the international popular makeup category during the 2020 Tmall 618 Mid-year Shopping Festival.

The Consumer Goods Exhibition Area of the fourth CIIE is expected to span 90,000 square meters. Themed "Create a Better and Healthy Life Together", the area will be divided into fi ve sections - Intelligent Life and Household Appliances, Sporting Goods and Events, Beauty and Cosmetics, Household Articles and Decoration Design, and Fashion Trends and Works of Art.

Following the three objectives of offering new lifestyle products, introducing smart technology, and exhibiting the latest fashion items, the area aims to gather brands from across the world to launch new products and create global fashion trends.

Among the six exhibiti on secti ons of last year's CIIE,

the Consumer Goods Exhibiti on Area was

described as the most beauti ful and the most popular, according to the "Report on the

Media Coverage and Infl uence of the Third

China Internati onal Import Expo"

released in January 2021.

US Democrats reintroduce legislation to prevent future Muslim bansWASHINGTON, FEB 27 (PTI)

As many as 140 Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced a legislation in the US Congress to prevent future Muslim bans and prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion.

The Muslim travel ban, introduced by former US President Donald Trump, targeted several Muslim-majority nations and restricted the entry of people from Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Venezuela. President Joe Biden ended the Muslim ban on his day one in the offi ce last month.

In the House of Representatives, the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act was reintroduced on Friday by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and Judy Chu, while in the Senate it was done by Senator Chris

Coons. Indian-American lawmakers Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoorthi are among those who are supporting the bill.

The legislation strengthens the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, and restores the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future travel bans.

When the Trump Administration issued its xenophobic Muslim ban, it was immediately apparent that it was unconstitutional,

discriminatory, and morally reprehensible, said Nadler.

I am grateful that President Biden took bold action on day one to repeal this ban and reunite families, but we cannot risk the possibility of any future President reinstating this heinous policy, he said.

The Muslim ban was a hateful stain on the United States. Inspired only by bigotry and not any genuine national security concerns, the ban served only to separate families while stoking bigotry, xenophobia, and Islamophobia, said Congresswoman Judy Chu.

However, we cannot risk letting prejudice become policy again. That is why I am once again introducing the NO BAN Act to update our laws. By requiring actual evidence of a threat before there can be any such broad based bans like this, the NO BAN Act ensures that future presidents will not be able to ban people solely because of their religion, she said.

Senator Coons said, we have turned the page on the tragic Muslim ban, but now we must write the next chapter one in which no president can act through fear and prejudice to discriminate against a community of faith.

The Muslim ban senselessly upended lives and cut off thousands of Americans from their loved ones. Only through an act of Congress can we ensure that such a discriminatory and overreaching action by a president never happens again. The NO BAN Act reasserts not only the role of

Congress under our system of checks and balances, but also the proud American legacy of welcoming immigrants and refugees, he said.

The Muslim ban is a stain on our nation's history a direct violation of our basic principles of equality under the law and religious freedom, said Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

Thankfully, President Biden ended this hateful ban on day one of his presidency. But we must ensure that no president can ever ban a group of people from this country based solely on their religion or nationality."We must ensure that mothers will not be separated from their children, that brothers and sisters will not be torn apart and that people around the world have a shot at the American Dream.

I'm proud to work with my colleagues to place the Muslim ban in the dustbin of history where it belongs, Omar said.

PM Modi to receive global energy and environment leadership awardWASHINGTON, FEB 27 (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award during an annual international energy conference next week. The prime minister will also deliver the keynote address at the CERAWeek Conference-2021, which will be held virtually from March 1 to 5, its organiser, IHS Markit, said on Friday. Prominent speakers at the conference include US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and founder of Breakthrough Energy Bill Gates and president and CEO, Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser. "We look forward to Prime Minister Modi's perspectives on the

role of the world's largest democracy and are pleased to honour him with the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award for his commitment to expanding India's leadership in sustainable development to meet the country's, and the world's, future energy needs," IHS Markit vice chairman and the conference's chair, Daniel Yergin, said.

In charting its path towards economic growth, poverty reduction and a new energy future, India has emerged at the centre of global energy and the environment.

Hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls taken in mass abductionLAGOS (NIGERIA), FEB 27

Gunmen abducted 317 girls from a boarding school in northern Nigeria on Friday, police said, the latest in a series of mass kidnappings of students in the West African nation. Police and the military have begun joint operations to rescue the girls after the attack at the Government Girls Junior Secondary School in Jangebe town, according to a police spokesman in Zamfara state, Mohammed Shehu, who confi rmed the number abducted.

One parent, Nasiru Abdullahi, told The Associated Press that his daughters, aged 10 and 13, are among the missing. It is disappointing that even though the military have

a strong presence near the school they were unable to protect the girls, he said. At this stage, we are only hoping on divine intervention. Resident Musa Mustapha said the gunmen also attacked a nearby military camp and checkpoint, preventing soldiers from interfering while the gunmen spent several hours at the school. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.Several large groups of armed men operate in Zamfara state, described by the government

as bandits, and are known to kidnap for money and to push for the release of their members from jail.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said Friday the government's primary objective is to get all the school hostages returned safe, alive and unharmed.

We will not succumb to blackmail by bandits and criminals who target innocent school students in the expectation of huge ransom payments, he said.

US senators introduce legislation to end China's access to multiple year visaWASHINGTON, FEB 27 (PTI)

A legislation has been introduced by a group of infl uential Republican senators to end China's access to 10-year multi-entry visas until it is certifi ed that Beijing

has ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the US. The legislation, Visa Security Act, was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn, Tom Cotton, Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio on Friday. It would prohibit Chinese

nationals from receiving 10-year B-1/B-2 visas until the Secretary of State certifi es that China has ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the United States and ended its provocative and coercive behaviour towards Taiwan.

LONDON, FEB 27 (PTI)

Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Friday said the more India is allowed to "get away" with producing pitches that are not deemed good enough for Test cricket, the more "toothless" the ICC will look.

England on Thursday suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat in the third Test against India on a spin-friendly Motera track to go down 1-2 in the four-match series.

The match ended inside two days with the pitch drawing fl ak from former players like Vaughan, though batting legend Sunil Gavaskar credited the Indian spinners rather

than blaming the surface."The longer powerful

countries like India are allowed to get away with it the more toothless the ICC will look," Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

"The governing body are allowing India to produce whatever they wish and it is Test cricket that is getting hurt," he said while expressing his displeasure with the BCCI.

Vaughan, who has led England from 2003 to 2008, felt broadcasters asking for refunds if a match fi nishes too soon may help change things.

"Perhaps it will take broadcasters to ask for refunds for things to change. They accept Test fi nishing early because the players are not good enough but not when home boards produce such poor pitches.

"They are left with three blank days but are still having to pay for production. They will not be happy and might think twice about good money for Test rights," Vaughan said.

He called India's win "a shallow victory" but admitted that the home team is much better equipped to deal with the conditions.

5

5SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2021 COIMBATORE

Will not allow

smooth session

unless Rathod

quits: BJPMUMBAI, FEB 27 (PTI)

BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar on Friday said the party will not allow the Budget session of the Maharashtra legislature to run smoothly unless Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod stepped down.

The opposition party has been demanding the resignation of Rathod, a Shiv Sena leader from Yavatmal, since his name was linked to the death of a 23-year-old woman in Pune. Rathod has denied that he had anything to do with the case.

In a video message, Bhatkhalkar alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was "planting" stories of Rathod likely to resign before the session begins on March 1.

"It is a shameless attempt to maintain image. Unless Rathod steps down or is removed from his post, the BJP will not allow the budget session to run smoothly," the MLA said.

"The chief minister can remove Rathod from the cabinet any time, but he is trying to protect the minister by delaying it," Bhatkhalkar further said.

Earlier, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had said whoever was guilty in the matter would not be spared.

State BJP vice president Chitra Wagh, meanwhile, claimed that there were 45 missed calls on the woman's phone the day she died, and the police needed to probe who this caller was.

"This government is sending the very wrong message that if you are in power, you can get away with a murder," Wagh said.

The woman, who was staying in Pune's Hadapsar area, died after allegedly falling from the balcony of her fl at on February 8.

Offi cials asked to document trees at Bal Thackeray's memorial site

AURANGABAD, FEB 27 (PTI)

Maharashtra minister Subhash Desai on Friday directed district offi cials in Aurangabad to document and undertake numbering of trees at Priyadarshini garden, the site chosen for late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's memorial.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the site, Desai, who is also the districts guardian minister, said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has clearly stated that the biodiversity of the area should not be disturbed.

The minister interacted with offi cials of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, contractors and nature lovers in the city at Priyadarshini Garden. "I have assessed the progress of work. The place was chosen for the memorial because of its peculiarity. We will take into consideration the suggestions made by nature lovers," he said.

The minister said he has instructed offi cials to document each tree before taking any action regarding it and undertake numbering of trees at the site.

"Care will be taken to ensure that no tree is harmed, and an attempt will also be made to increase the green cover in the area," he added.

MP CM defends references to PM Modi in Guv address to AssemblyBHOPAL, FEB 27 (PTI)

Two days after the leader of opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Kamal Nath claimed Governor Anandiben Patel's customary address on the opening day of the budget session had 10 references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday hit back claiming taking the PM's name was a matter of pride.

The governor had addressed the House on Monday and Chouhan was replying during the motion of thanks. Chouhan said Modi was a leader with a global stature and said his leadership galvanized people from all walks of life to fi ght against the coronavirus

outbreak.Under the leadership

of the PM, the country had grown tall globally by rolling out vaccines to several nations. On the opposition's remark that why the Centre was not being able to fi nd a solution to the farm protests near Delhi if Modi's name was such an adored one, Chouhan said farmers were not dissatisfi ed in others parts of the country.

Vellore District Collector Shanmuga Sundaram, distributed 2 Gb data cards to 2815 college students at Thirumagal Mills Arts and Science College yesterday. Aavin Chairman Velazagan, Central Co-operation Bank Chairman V Ramu and College Pricipal Kaveri Ammal also participated in

that event.

BJP must be patient for probe into minister's link to woman's death: Mushrif

HDFC Life’s new TVC launchedCOIMBATORE FEB 27

HDFC Life has launched its latest brand campaign, Bounce Back. The communication conveys how fi nancially securing one’s future makes things easier when it comes to charting a new course to success.

It is this never-give-up spirit that has been captured in the latest brand

campaign by HDFC Life. The ad fi lm focuses on the story of a couple, who, on the cusp of success reminisces on their journey of growth - from when the husband lost his job to opening their new retail store ‘Fashion House’. When the family was at its lowest,

their determination and their fi nancial preparedness helps them script a bounce back. The brand, thus, has touched upon a relevant subject and has focused on encouraging everyone to be fi nancially prepared in order to pivot to success from their setbacks

said the bank’s offi cials. Speaking on the launch,

Pankaj Gupta - Sr. EVP (Sales) and CMO, HDFC Life, said “Our latest brand campaign celebrates the indomitable human spirit and how fi nancial resilience helps one to overcome challenges.” Rajdeepak Das, CEO ; Chief Creative Offi cer – South Asia, Leo Burnett said “This campaign is the perfect extension to the brands ‘Bounce back’ narrative and takes a cue from the steadfast Indian spirit of resilience.” Link to the TVC: https://w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=S6pWCUuW714

MUMBAI, FEB 27 (PTI) Even as the BJP seeks

action against Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Rathod over a woman's death, state Minister Hasan Mushrif on Friday asked the saffron party to have patience and let the truth come out after a probe in the matter.

Speaking to a news channel, the rural development minister and NCP leader said it won't be right to punish someone before the matter is probed properly.Rathod, a Shiv Sena leader from Vidarbha region, is being linked to the death

of the 23-year-old woman, who fell from a building in Hadapsar area of Pune on February 8.Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has already announced a probe in the matter and the state's

director general of police has also said that a report in this regard will soon be submitted, Mushrif said.

"We have seen how the BJP was left embarrassed in an episode involving Minister Dhananjay Munde. So, it (the BJP) should have some patience. The truth will be known after the probe. After that, the chief minister will take appropriate action," the minister told the news channel in Kolhapur.A Mumbai-based woman had last month accused NCP leader and Social Justice Minister Munde of allegedly

raping her, following which some BJP leaders had sought action against him.

Munde had dismissed the charges and the woman had later withdrawn her complaint against him.Meanwhile, when Industries Minister Subhash Desai was asked about the issue surrounding Rathod, he evaded the question and chose not to comment.

Similarly, when reporters questioned PWD minister Ashok Chavan regarding a speculation about Rathod's resignation, he said he was unaware about the matter.

Nilgiris District Collector Innocent Divya watering new varieties of fruit yeilding saplings at Coonoor. This project is being implemented by the Nilgiris horticultural

Department. Coonoor sub Colllector Renjith Singh and deputy Director Of Horticultutre Sivasubramaniam Samraj are also seen.

Tirupur Corporation Commisioner Sivakumar releasing the income and expenditure statement for the year 2021-22 yesterday at the corporation offi ce. Engineer Ravi, Asst. Commisioner (Accounts) Santhana Narayanan and Corporation offi cials are also seen.

C'garh 20-21 GSDP, per capita income to see decline: ReportRAIPUR, FEB 27 (PTI)

The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Chhattisgarh is estimated to decline by 1.77 per cent and the per capita income is expected to fall by 0.14 percent, as per the Economic Survey Report for 2020-21 tabled in the state Assembly on Friday.

The report, presented in the House by state Planning, Economics and Statistics department minister Amarjeet Bhagat, revealed that the GSDP at constant price was expected to decrease by 1.77 per cent and reach Rs 2,45,45,166 lakh for 2020-21, as against quick estimates of Rs 2,49,87,503 lakh in 2019-20.According to the report, the state's agriculture sector, comprising agriculture,

livestock, forestry and fi shing, as well as the service sector were expected to grow by 4.61 per cent and 0.75 per cent respectively over the previous fi nancial year.

However, the industry sector, namely mining and quarrying, construction, manufacturing and electricity,

gas and water supply, was likely to decline by 5.28 per cent as compared to 2019-20, it added.

As per advance estimate, the GSDP at current price (market prices) is likely to increase to Rs 3,50,270 crore in 2020-21 from Rs 3,44,955 crore of previous fi scal, which is a growth of 1.54 percent, it said.The per capita income in 2019-20, as per quick estimate was Rs 1,05,089, and it is likely to reach Rs 1,04,943 during 2020-21, registering a 0.14 per cent decline as compared to previous year, the report said.The state government said the decline was low when compared to the 5.41 per cent negative growth of the national per capita income.

As per advance esti mate, the GSDP at current price is

likely to increase to Rs 3,50,270 crore in 2020-21 from

Rs 3,44,955 crore of previous fi scal,

which is a growth of 1.54 percent, it said.

Odisha CM urges bankers to increase credit fl ow to farmersB H U B A N E S WA R , FEB 27 (PTI)

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday urged banks to expedite the process of credit disbursement to farmers, self-help groups and MSMEs to help them overcome fi nancial constraint arising out of the COVID-19 crisis.

During a virtual meeting with bankers, district collectors and top offi cers of the state government on the credit linkage issues, he hailed a section of lenders for making progress in providing loans to the priority sector.

The chief minister said farmers, 'Mission Shakti' groups and MSMEs need credit to run and expand their businesses.

"We need to support them," Patnaik said.From the last meeting in December last year, an additional amount of around Rs 1,600 crore was given to "Mission Shakti" groups, which is Rs 500 crore more than the annual target, the chief minister said.

He said the state government has substantially increased the budget allocation for these sectors in 2021-22 fi scal.

The state is also providing interest subvention under various schemes to reduce the burden on people and enhance credit linkages, Patnaik said.

The annual credit target for self-help groups was Rs 3,240 crore and the actual disbursement to them was at Rs 3,745 crore by January, he said.

The average loan size in the SHG sector is Rs 1.49 lakh, which needs to be improved to at least Rs 2 lakh, the chief minister said.

Mentioning that farmers are the backbone of the state, Patnaik said crop loan advances now stand at Rs 20,606 crore, exceeding the last year's disbursement of Rs 20,000 crore.Patnaik said the overall credit fl ow to MSMEs during the last two months has been satisfactory.

TMC forms 12-member committee for Bengal polls

KOLKATA, FEB 27 (PTI)

The Trinamool Congress on Friday announced a 12-member election committee that will look into the selection of candidates and plan a campaign for the upcoming assembly polls.

The panel will be headed by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, party's secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said after its core committee meeting.Senior party leaders, MPs and MLAs are other members of the committee, he said.Subrata Bakshi, Abhishek Banerjee, Sudip Banerjee, Derek O Brien, Sougata Roy and C M Jatua are members of the election panel.Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee,

Partha Chatterjee Chandrima Bhattacharya and Aroop Biswas are also part of the team.According to party sources, the TMC leaders had extensively discussed the issues related to the selection of candidates and planned for the campaign.

"Selection of the candidates will be an important thing this time and inputs from election strategist Prashant Kishor and his team I-PAC will play an important role in it," a party leader said.Elections for the West Bengal assembly will be held in eight phases, up from seven last time, beginning with polling for 30 seats on March 27, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said while announcing the poll schedule.

Bhubaneswar hottest in Odisha at 40 degrees Celsius; school timings rescheduledBHUBANESWAR, FEB 27 (PTI)

Mercury levels in several parts of Odisha climbed up unusually on Friday ahead of the onset of summer, with capital Bhubaneswar recording the highest day temperature of 40.4 degrees Celsius, an offi cial said.The rise in temperatures before the end of February forced the state government to reschedule school timings for classes 9-12.

Students of classes 9 and 10 will attend schools from 7 am to 9 am, while pupils of classes 10 and 12 will go to schools from 9 am to 1 pm from March 1 onwards, he said.Bhubaneswar, known for its pleasant weather, had recorded last decade's highest temperature of 40.9

degrees Celsius on February 20, 2016 and an all-time high of 42.7 degrees Celsius on February 23, 1963.

The Regional Meteorological Offi ce said the maximum and minimum temperatures for Bhubaneswar in the next 24 hours will be around 39 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius respectively.The weatherman forecast that maximum temperatures are likely to remain 3-4 degrees Celsius above normal for the next 4-5 days and there will be no major change in minimum temperatures. Seventeen other stations, including Balasore, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Sundargarh and Baripada recorded temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.

Bihar assembly passes 2nd supplementary

budget for FY21 by voice votePATNA, FEB 27 (PTI)

The Bihar assembly on Friday passed the Rs 19,370.03 crore second supplementary budget for the 2020-21 fi scal by voice vote.

The passage of the supplementary budget along with the Bihar Appropriation Bill, 2021 will help the government to meet outstanding expenditure in the current fi scal, Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad said.

Prasad, who holds the fi nance portfolio, said Rs 9,530.27 crore has been earmarked for the annual scheme and Rs 9,399.98 crore for the establishment and committed expenditure in the supplementary budget.Participating in a debate on the supplementary budget for the current fi scal ending

March 31, the deputy chief minister said in the House that the share of city residents has increased to 15.28 per cent of the state's population, following the creation of 116 new urban bodies.

As per the 2011 Census data, 1.13 crore people were living in the cities, constituting 11.3 per cent of the state's population, Prasad said, adding the increase in the number of civic bodies has given a fi llip to the urbanisation process.

6 SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2021 COIMBATORE

City gets new DCP

Collector asks offi cials to enforce model code of conduct strictly

ERODE, FEB 27: Collector C Kathiravan

has instructed the offi cials to immediately implement the election model code of conduct announced by the Election Commission.

He arrived at the collectorate on Friday evening, where the cops, offi cials who are directly involved in enforcing the rules arrived. District Election offi cer cum collector C. Kathiravan issued separate orders for each departmental offi cers on the subject. Five teams including Flying Squads, Accounts Monitoring Team, Video Surveillance Team etc were constituted and in each assembly segment, 96 members of the teams will work.

In the fi rst instance, he ordered the offi cials to lock down the MLA, local body leaders offi ces in the panchayat and panchayat unions. He also ordered the people's representatives to hand over the government vehicles to the respective department heads . He also ordered removal of party fl ags, emblems, billboards, pictures of leaders, etc. in public places or cover them in order to observe the rules.

COIMBATORE, FEB 27:

A Myilvaganan has taken charge as the city deputy commisioner of police (head-quarters) on Friday.

He was earlier serving as the superintendent of police in Ranipet district. The state government had tranferred him to the city on February 17.

Honble Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam handed over appointment orders to the candidates recruited through TNPSC for Directorate of Town and Country Planning

Hero of many a jallikattu,

Ravanan dies of snake bitePUDUKOTTAI, FEB 27:

Nemmelipatti village in Pudukottai was engulfed in sorrow when news spread on Friday that Jallikattu bull 'Ravanan' had died of snake bite. Known fondly as 'Kombu Vacha Singam' (lion with horns), Ravanan remained untamed in most of the events he entered, including the Avaniapuram and Alanganallur Jallikattu this year.

P Anuradha, a sub-inspector and weightlifting champion, and her brother Marimuthu had been raising the bull. Ravanan was a gift to Anuradha after she won gold at the Common-wealth Weightlifting Championship in 2019. Ravanan was last seen at Solagampatti Jallikattu for days ago and after that, he had wandered into the forest area.

Marimuthu said, ''On Friday, we found him dead. He seems to have died of snake bite. He was ferocious at the vadivasal and loving at home. He was untamed in all three big Jallikattu events last year -- Avaniapuram, Alanganallur and Tiruppur.'' President of the village panchayat Sathish Kumar said, ''Ravanan had made our entire district proud. He proved his mettle in every event he entered. We all fed like we have lost a family member.

Modi has no right to talk about anarchy, says Stalin

Four gored to death by bulls during manjuvirattu event in Tamil NaduMADURAI, FEB 27:

Four men were gored to death by bulls during a manjuvirattu event at Araliparai in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu on Friday.

As many as 94 people suffered injuries in the bull taming event held as part of the Masi Magam festival at the Ba la thandayuthapan i temple.

The deceased have been identifi ed as Sethu,45, of Pudur in Thirupathur, Ajithkumar,26, of Athangudi, Maruthu,40, of Namanur and Mahesh, 23, of Melavannaniruppu.

They died while undergoing treatment in Sivaganga Government Hospital and Government Rajaji Hospital Madurai. Sivaganga district collector P Madhusudhan Reddy said none of the registered bull tamers had died.

He said one of the deceased was the owner of a bull, who died when the animal gored him while it was being transported on a truck.

The other three were gored by bulls when they tried to catch the animals at the collection point. A total of 111 bulls were unleashed and 70 bull tamers participated in the event.

Target ball event held

ERODE FEB 27:The Tamil Nadu

State Level Target Ball Tournament was held at the Balaji College of Arts and Science in Chennai recently. In the event Erode district

target ball association Secretary Dr Arun Prasanna took part on behalf of Erode district.

The team led by president Muthusankar, Shajahan, Coordinator Mr.

Devakanthan.M.Phil, won third prize in the state meet.

The more successful players are going to attend national level target ball competition to be held in Bihar.

Cow killed in suspected leopard attackCOIMBATORE, FEB 27:

A cow was killed in a suspected leopard attack at Madukkarai forest range. According to sources, the three-year old cow belonging to Vijayakumar of Arivoli Nagar went grazing along with other cattle but went missing on Thursday. On Friday morning, when Vijayakumar went searching

for the cow, he found the carcass.

Suspecting that it could be an attack by a predatory animal, he alerted offi cials of the forest range. Forest offi cials who inspected the spot believe that it could be a leopard attack.''We are yet to confi rm the attack. We have decided to put up a camera trap in the area,'' said a forest department offi cial.

Kovai, Tirupur Corpns present surplus budgetCOIMBATORE, FEB 27:

City corporation commissioner P Kumaravel Pandian on Friday presented the budget without announcing any new projects. However, for the fi fth consecutive year, it projected a budget surplus.

As per the budget, the civic body is estimated to generate Rs 2,630.19 crore revenue in the 2021-22 fi nancial year and spend Rs 2,629.14 crores, paving way for a budget surplus of Rs 1.04 crore. From property tax, water supply and drainage tax and educational tax alone it is expected to

generate Rs 180.31 crore. The city corporation has

projected Rs 111.52 crore revenue from property tax, Rs 50.75 crore from water supply and drainage tax and Rs 18.04 crore from educational tax.

For the ongoing fi nancial year, the corporation had proposed a surplus budget of Rs 1.14 crore, but as per

the revised estimate there would be a budget defi cit of Rs 60.87 crore, as the projected expenditure of Rs 1,513.22 crore overshoots the estimated revenue of Rs 1,452.35 crore.

The civic body had earlier projected a tax revenue of Rs 283.83 crore - Rs 170.78 crore from property tax, Rs 84.75 crore

from water supply and drainage tax and Rs 28.30 crore from educational tax. But, according to the revised estimates, the corporation has pegged tax revenues at only Rs 160.88 crore - Rs 98.25 crore from property tax, Rs 46.56 crore from water supply and drainage tax and Rs 16.07 crore from educational tax.

The corporation has shown Rs 32.92 crore as Covid-19 expenditure in 2020-21 and set aside another Rs 9.80 crore for the same. The civic body has also proposed to borrow about Rs 300 crore from the state government to implement

drinking water projects and underground drainage projects in the added areas and Pillur III drinking water scheme.

It also has plans to borrow another Rs 67.17 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation and Rs 8.62 crore as Tamil Nadu urban road infrastructure fund from the World Bank. The civic body would also spend Rs 134.33 crore on integrated bus stand at Vellalore, Rs 79.30 crore on restoring the Sanganoor canal, Rs 25 crore on model road project and Rs 197.13 crore on lake rejuvenation and beautifi cation projects.

As per the budget, the civic body is esti mated to generate Rs 2,630.19 crore revenue in the 2021-22 fi nancial year and spend Rs

2,629.14 crores, paving way for a budget surplus of Rs 1.04 crore. From property tax, water supply and drainage tax and educati onal tax alone it is expected to generate Rs 180.31 crore.

Doubled delight!

The announcements on February 25 has made many of the parents and government employees in Tamil Nadu happy. The quantum

happiness was doubled as two announcements came on the same day. We appreciate and thank Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy for this.

There are about 12 lakh government employees and teachers in Tamil Nadu. Their retirement age was earlier 58. The state government employees have been demanding pay equal to that of the central government employees. Along with that, they have also been demanding to increase their retirement age from 58 to 60.

Based on that, the retirement age was raised from 58 to 59 last year. And now it has been raised from 59 to 60. We appreciate the Chief Minister for this decision.

Following the pandemic control measures, the schools were closed during the academic year 2020-21. As the spread of the coronavirus gradually receded, the schools were opened for the students of class 10 and 12 from January 19. To boost up the immunity of the students, vitamin and zinc tablets were provided.

The students were learning through television and the internet throughout the academic year. Considering the diffi culties in remote learning, the syllabus was reduced. Also, taking the abnormal situation faced by the students and teachers, requisition of the parents along with the opinion of the educationalists into consideration, it has been announced that the students of classes 9,10 and 11 were declared ‘all pass’ sans any board examinations. The scoring patterns and the related guidelines will soon be announced by the government. We once again appreciate the Chief Minister who doubled the delight.

City Equestrian Club Hosts Hoovers Print 2nd Edition

COIMBATORE,FEB 27:

The second edition of Hoovers Print, conducted by the Indigenous Horse Society of India, was held today at the city based Alexander Equestrian Club. Mr. J.Rajendran, Chairman, JRD Realtors was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

Other guests of honour present on the occasion included, Mr. Deepak Vigneswaran, CEO, JRD Realtors, Mr.Kannan, Chairman, Winners India City Developers and Mr. Raghavendra Singh Dundlod, Vice President, Indigenous Horse Society of India.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajendran congratulated Mr. Sakthi Balaji, Founder-Director of the Alexander Club for the excellent conduct of the event and wished that he should conduct such events at a national level.

Echoing similar sentiments, Mr. Kannan stated that Mr. Sakthi Balaji has put in a lot of effort and conducted the event at par with international levels. Mr. Deepak Vigneswaran congratulated Mr.Sakthi Balaji for the successful

conduct of the event and also wished him the very best for his future endeavors.Mr. Raghavendra Singh Dundlod mentioned that it was pleasing to note that there has been rising interest in indigenous horse breeds in the southern part of India.

He said the next step of the society was to go into sports. He said indigenous horses should participate and fi nd success in national equestrian sport events.

Mr. Sakthi Balaji speaking on the occasion stated that the event was inaugurated by Shri. Banwari Lal Purohit, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, yesterday. He added that more than 80 horses, drawn from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka are participating in the event. He pointed out that the event will help in creating increased awareness about indigenous horse breeds. Earlier Mr. Saravanan, Coach at the Alexander Club welcomed the gathering.

A variety of events including, horse parade, horse dancing and horsemanship were highlights of the second day. Mr. Sakthi Balaji said that the event will continue for two more days.

Dharmapuri District Collector and District election offi cer Karthika, presiding over a consultative meeting at the District Collecterate regarding the arrangements to be made for the forthcoming assembly election as per election commision model code of conduct announced yesterday. RDO Ramamoorthi, Sub Colllector Prathap, and other senior offi cials from various departments participated in th meeting.

2 girls drown in OdishaSAMBALPUR (ODISHA), FEB 27 (PTI)

Two girls, aged three and two-and-a-half, drowned in a water-fi lled pit in Odisha's Sambalpur district on Friday, police said. The girls accidentally fell into the pit in Kalapara village in Burla police station area while playing near it in the morning, an offi cer said.

EDITORIAL

'Declare cow as national animal'TIRUMALA, FEB 27:

The executive committee of Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad, dharmic wing of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which met on Friday under the chairmanship of TTD chairman YV Suba Reddy resolved to request the Central government to declare cow (Gomatha) as the national animal.

The TTD chairman said a resolution to this effect will also be made at the TTD Boardmeeting scheduled to be held on Saturday. He opined that once the cow is made a national animal cow slaughter can be stoppped effectivelly. The TTD Board meeting will also discuss the TTD's annual budget.

Recycle

For the

Life cycle

I, K Imdhadulla Sheriff, S/o.

R Kalimulla Sheriff, Born on:

05.06.1980, (Native District:

Salem), residing at No. 12A,

Bharathi Nagar, Podanur,

Coimbatore-641023, shall

hence forth be known as K IMDHADHULLA SHERIFF

NAME CHANGE

K Imdhadulla Sheriff

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05.06.1980, (brhªj kht£l«:

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K ï«jhJšyh bõߥ (K IMDHADHULLA SHERIFF) vd miH¡f¥gLntdhfî«.

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K ï«jhJšyh bõߥ

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