SATURDAY ISRAEL STRIKES HEZBOLLAH’S HQ 28 SEPTEMBER, 2024 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard SRI LANKA DISSANAYAKE NAMES NEW POLICE CHIEF Senior DIG Priyantha Weerasuriya was appointed acting police chief in place of Deshabandu Tenna-koon, who was suspended in July PAGE 9 ‘TARGET OF THE STRIKE’ HEZBOLLAH CHIEF NASRALLAH REPORTED ‘SAFE’ A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS SC bench says no punitive action has been taken against those who burn crop stubble Air quality panel under SC fire over capital pollution SUCHITRA KALYAN MOHANTY @ New Delhi SLAMMING the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) over its failure to curb air pollution due to crop residue bur ning, the Supreme Court on Friday observed that the air quality panel needed to be more active in its approach in dealing with the issue. A two-judge bench of Justices Abha S Oka and Augustine George Masih expressed its d i s s at i s f a c t i o n w i t h t h e CAQM’s report on the stubble burning issue and sought a better compliance report. It fixed the matter for further hearing on October 3. Underscoring that the Commission should do its best to ensure that stubble-burning alternative equipment is used at the grassroots level, the top court asked for effective steps taken in this regard. “There has been total non-compliance of the Act. Please show us a single direction issued to any stakeholder under the Act,” Justice Oka said, questioning whether any substantive steps had been taken to address the problem. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, senior law officer representing the Central govt, emphasised that effective steps such ‘Total non-compliance’ A two-judge bench expressed dissatisfaction with the CAQM’s report on the stubble burning and sought a better compliance report. “There has been total noncompliance of the Act,” it said as issuing advisories and guidelines to manage the crisis have been taken in this regard. The apex court, however, was unimpressed. “It is all in the air, nothing they have shown regarding what has been done in the National Capital Region (NCR) states,” Justice Oka observed. “Not a single committee has been formed to tackle the stubble burning issue. Every year, we witness stubble burning, indicating total noncompliance with the CAQM Act. Have any committees been constituted? Show us one step taken. What directions have you utilised under the Act? You are merely silent spectators,” the bench said. Amicus curiae Aparajita Singh pointed out that the CAQM was not doing enough to tackle the issue. “What effective action are they taking? ... If it is still continuing year after year, then these are not answers,” Singh told the bench. NEW DELHI J8.00 PAGES 12 Homeo doctor in psychotropic drug twist U J W A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi A homoeopathic doctor, earlier conferred with ‘Indian Achiever’s Award’, was arrested with six people for illegally manufacturing Alprazolam powder in Hisar and supplying it to the national capital, police said on Friday adding that drugs worth , `4.20 crore were recovered. The six were identified as Dr Naveen Aggarwal (CEO of herbal healthcare company Biocase Foods & Extracts Pvt Ltd), Rajender Kumar Mishra alias RP, Ram Ashish Maurya alias Pappu, Anand Kumar alias Sonu (owner of a pharmaceutical company called Sakshi Enterprises Ltd), Deepak Kumar, and Mukesh Kumar. DCP (Crime) Amit Goel said they got a tipoff that Rajender Prasad Mishra would come near Aggarwal Sweets, Main Wazirabad Road, Delhi to take a consignment of Alprazolam powder from one of his aides. Police formed a team, which laid a trap at the specified location and at the instance of the secret infor mer, Mishra was held and 18 kg Alprazolam powder found from his possession. On interrogation, Mishra disclosed that he works as a carrier in a drug cartel involved in supply of Alprazolam The homoeopathic doctor, who had been conferred with ‘Indian Achiever’s Award’, illegally manufactured Alprazolam powder in Hisar and supplying it to the national capital —Amit Goel, DCP (Crime) THE Central government’s total debt at the end of June 2024 quarter has reached `176 lakh crore, up 25% from the previous year’s `141 lakh crore. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the debt rose 1.2%, much lower than 4.6% growth witnessed in the same period last year. As for the composition of the Centre’s total debt, external debt accounted for `9.78 lakh crore, up from `8.50 lakh crore in the same period last year. Of the `149 lakh crore internal loans, market loans (raised through government bonds) accounted for `104.5 lakh crore, `27 lakh was raised through securities against small savings, `10.5 lakh crore through T-bills, and `78,500 crore through gold bonds. It must be noted that the government has maintained the borrowing target in the cur- Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi A day ahead of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s address at the UN General Assembly, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday raked up the Kashmir issue and sought to draw similarities between the situation in Kashmir and Palestine. India normally uses its right to reply to give it back to Pakistan, adding Kashmir is an inalienable part of India. “Like the people of Palestine, the people of J&K, too, struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination,” said Sharif in his UNGA address. He accused India of reneging on its commitments to implement the U N Se c u rit y Council resolutions there. “India’s policy of brutal coercion and oppression in Kashmir has ensured that Burhan Wani’s legacy continues to inspire the struggle and sacrifices of millions of Kashmiris. Inspired by the legitimacy of their epic struggle, they remain defiant,’’ claimed Sharif. “In a classic settler-colonial project, India is seizing Kashmiri lands and properties and settling outsiders in J&K in their nefarious design to transform the Muslim majority into a minority he charged. ,” Sharif also alleged that India was expanding its military capabilities. He went on to accuse India of threatening to cross the Line of Control to seize Pakistan occupied Kashmir. rent financial year at `14.1 lakh crore. The finance ministry on Thursday announced `6.61 lakh crore borrowing plan in the second half of the current financial year. Though the gover nment has maintained its FY25 borrowing target of `14.01 lakh crore, analysts expect the government to cut down on borrowing this financial year. According to Nomura, spending does not appear to have picked up after the initial boost. “It is possible that the GOI will underspend this year and therefore IGB issuance can be reduced,” it says. Gaura Sen Gupta, chief economist at IDFC First Bank, feels there is scope for the fiscal deficit to undershoot the FY25 target of 4.9%, as this is a truncated year (due to the general election). She says the Centre has refrained from reducing GSec supply due to additional demand from index inclusion. Standing Committee: BJP wins last vacant seat in absence of AAP, Cong P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi ‘KINDLY PROF’ OSCAR-WINNING LEGEND OF STAGE & SCREEN NO MORE Maggie Smith, who died on Friday aged 89, excelled in whatever she turned her hand to during her more than 60-year career. She became best-known in recent decades for her portayal of the kindly Professor McGonagall in the ‘Harry Potter’ film franchise and the Dowager Countess in ‘Downton Abbey’ | P9 AFTER a day filled with highoctane drama, the BJP clinched the final vacant seat of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s Standing Committee on Friday without councillors from AAP or Congress in attendance. While BJP candidate Sunder Singh secured all 115 votes of the party’s councillors, AAP’s N i r m a l a Ku m a r i s c o r e d nought. The qualifying quota was 58 votes. With this, the BJP has cemented its dominance on the influential panel with 10 members against AAP’s eight. The contest for the last Standing Committee seat took place under unusual circumstances, marking the first time that neither AAP nor Congress councillors participated. AAP has a total of 124 councillors in the 250-member House, followed by BJP with 115, Congress with 9, and one independent. The elections, scheduled for 1 pm on Friday followed an order , from the MCD Commissioner that appointed an Additional Commissioner as the presiding powder. He also revealed that he procured the Alprazolam powder from Ram Ashish Maurya to deliver it to Anand Kumar in Karawal Nagar, Delhi. “Raids were conducted to nab Ram Ashish Maurya and Anand Kumar, but both were a b s c o n d i n g . H o w e v e r, `1,17,60,350 was recovered from their houses. Later, accused Ram Ashish Maurya, Anand Kumar and Deepak Kumar were arrested,” the DCP said. On interrogation, Deepak disclosed that Alprazolam powder was manufactured in a unit of Biocase Foods and Extracts Pvt Ltd in Hisar. Its owner Dr Naveen Aggarwal was then arrested. “Traces of Alprazolam powder were found and lifted from the factory by an FSL team. It was found that accused Deepak took shelter at the house of Mukesh Kumar, who was held,” the DCP said. Goel said action under financial investigation was also taken against them. “Action for freezing the factory in Hisar and two built-up properties and a car of accused Anand Kumar is under process,” he said. Sharif plays K-card, claims India altering demography The Pakistani PM said while the escalation of Islamophobia is a troubling global development, its “most alarming manifestation of Islamophobia is the Hindu supremacist agenda in India.” On the ongoing Gaza war, Sharif said, “This is not just a conflict. This is systematic slaughter of innocent people of Palestine...we must act now and demand an immediate end to this bloodshed.” He said humanity was diminished when the endless suffering of Palestinians was ignored. Significantly, Turkiye President Recap Tayyip Erdogan did not mention Kashmir in his UNGA address this year, the first time he has skipped it since Article 370 was read down in 2019. The focus of his speech this year was the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Central govt’s total debt shoots up 25% to `176 lakh crore D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi Israel carried out air strikes on the south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut that it said targeted Hezbollah’s headquarters, moments after PM Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting the militant group. Leading Israeli television networks reported that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the air strike. “Target of the strike: Nasrallah. The IDF (Israeli military) is checking whether the secretary-general of Hezbollah was in the building in the heart of Dahiyeh (that was hit),” Channel 12 reported. A source close to Hezbollah said Nasrallah was “fine”. | P9 The government pays 19% of its total revenue collection in paying interest towards outstanding debt. For FY25, it has budgeted for `11.6 lakh crore in interest payment. The Centre’s total debt at the end of June quarter is 54% of the country’s estimated GDP of `326 lakh crore in FY25. Last year (FY24), the Centre’s debt/ GDP ratio was at 57.5%. The Centre’s debt-to-GDP ratio has been falling since FY21, when it peaked at 62.75%. EXPRESS READ Lokayukta police FIR against Siddaramaiah The Lokayukta police on Friday filed an FIR against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the MUDA site allotment case, following the court order. The CM, meanwhile, reiterated that he won’t resign as he has done no wrong, and asserted that he would fight the case legally. BrahMos reserves jobs for Agniveers BJP’s Sunder Singh Tanwar after Standing Committee poll on Friday. | SHEKHAR YADAV Lotus blooms in MCD While BJP candidate Sunder Singh secured all 115 votes of the party’s councillors, AAP’s Nirmala Kumari scored naught. The qualifying quota was 58 votes. officer. However, Mayor Shelly Oberoi contested the legitimacy of the polls, declaring them illegal and unlawful in a letter to the commissioner. Oberoi argued that it is within her authority to adjourn House meetings, and she had already postponed the session until October 5. Citing the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the Mayor explained that the presiding officer must be the Mayor herself. In her absence, the role falls to the Deputy Mayor, and if both are unavailable, a councillor is to be appointed. She emphasized that no other individual, could legally be designated as the presiding officer. Despite AAP’s ojections, polling proceeded under the supervision of Additional Commissioner Jitendra Yadav, who was the Presiding Officer. P3 The BrahMos Aerospace has emerged as the first entity across public and private companies to reserve jobs for Agniveers. The firm has declared it will designate at least 15% of vacancies in technical jobs and 50% in administration and security roles for Agniveers. | P7 Boundary wall opposite Ujjain temple collapses Two persons, including a woman, were killed as a portion of the boundary wall of a building opposite the famous UMahakal temple in Ujjain collapsed due to heavy rains on Friday evening. Four persons were trapped under the debris, Ujjain collector said. LOW TURNOUT DUSU election on Friday recorded the lowest turnout of 29.7%. It was 13 years ago in 2011, DUSU election saw a voter turnout of 30% owing to heavy rainfall that day. Counting will take place after October 21 | PARVEEN NEGI | P3 KERALA ON HIGH ALERT AFTER DETECTION OF 3RD MPOX CASE The health department in Kerala on Friday said that a 26-year-old man, who has just returned from abroad, has tested positive for mpox. The man has been admitted in a Kochi hospital | P5 Zelenskyy accuses peace merchants of having Nobel dream Y E S H I S E L I @ New Delhi AS efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict continue, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remarked that some are attempting to broker peace with an eye on Nobel Prize and not real peace. A comprehensive peace formula is already in place but some countries are proposing alternative settlement plans aimed at pausing, not ending, the war; such a move will only give Russian president Vladimir Putin more room to continue the war and bring more damage to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said while addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday . “As a global initiative, the peace formula has already existed for the past two years. And maybe somebody wants a Nobel Prize for their political biography for frozen truce instead of real peace, but the only prizes Putin will give you in return are more suffering and disasters,’’ said Zelenskyy . While the Ukrainian leader did not name any country while making this remark, in his speech, he mentioned: “When the Chinese-Brazilian duo tries to grow into a choir of voices – with someone in Europe, with someone in Africa, saying something alternative to a full and just peace, the question arises – what is the true interest? Everyone must understand – you won’t boost your power at Ukraine’s expense.” The war between Russia and Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Many world leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jingping, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have tried to impress upon Ukraine and Russia to end the conflict. India has always maintained that the best way to end the conflict is through dialogue and diplomacy . When some propose half-hearted plans, it not only ignores Ukrainians interest but also helps Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy MEETS TRUMP Zelenskyy met Donald Trump on Friday in New York. ‘I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and Putin can’t win,’ Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin WILL END WAR: DON Trump said he will end the war if elected as US prez. “It’s a shame... This is a war that should have never happened... Too many people dead,” he said after meeting Zelenskyy
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