cmyk
THE LARGEST CIRCULATED ENGLISH DAILY IN SOUTH INDIA
WEATHER
Max: 32OC
Min: 23OC
Rainfall: 6%
ASTROGUIDE
Pilava: Aani 17
Tithi: Sapthami
Star: Poorattathi
Rahukalam:
1.30 pm to 3 pm
Yamagandam:
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PRAYERS
Fajar: 4.27 am
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SUNSET TODAY 6.48 PM
SUNRISE TOMORROW 6.03 AM
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MOONSET TOMORROW 12.44 AM
CORONA
C UNT
CASES DEATHS
(+44,725) (+917)
3,04,06,887 3,99,404
covid19india.org
STATE GOVERNMENT BULLETINS
(+4,506) (113)
TN: 24,79,696 32,619
WORLD CONFIRMED CASES
18,27,67,902
DEATHS
39,56,737
COUNTRIES,
219
AREAS WITH
CASES
worldometers.info
Venugpal reappointed as
attorney general for a year
New Delhi: Senior advocate K K
Venugopal was on Wednesday
reappointed as the Attorney
General of India for one year, a
law ministry notification said.
The attorney general usually has
a tenure of three years. When
Venugopal's first term as AG
was to end last year, he had
requested the government to
give him a one-year tenure
keeping in mind his advanced
age. He is 90.
Biden nominates Indian-
American woman as judge
Washington: United States
President Joe Biden has nomi-
nated Indian-American Shalina D
Kumar as a federal judge for the
Eastern District of Michigan, the
White House has said.
Nominated by Biden to the US
District Court for the Eastern
District of Michigan, Chief Judge
Shalina has served on the
Oakland County Sixth Circuit
Court since 2007. She was
appointed Chief Judge of the
Circuit Court by the Michigan
Supreme Court in January of
2018, a media release said on
Wednesday.
COUNTER POINT
Case against Twitter under POCSO for child porn
New Delhi, June 30: The taken by Twitter officials
Delhi Police has sent a concerned against child
notice to micro-blogging sexual abuse content on
site Twitter seeking details their platform and sought
about steps taken by it details of the accounts cir-
against circulation of child culating such material.
pornographic content on its
platform, officials said on istered an FIR against
Wednesday. Twitter for allegedly allow-
A senior police officer ing access to child pornog-
said the notice was sent to raphy on its platform fol-
Twitter on Tuesday. lowing a complaint by the
He said the police have National Commission for
sought to know the steps Protection of Child Rights
TN expects 71 lakh doses of
vaccines in July: Min
deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle
Pay Covid relief, frame Experts to help TN turn
norms in 6 weeks: SC into top destination: CM
■ Apex court orders simplification of death certificate
DC CORRESPONDENT
Covaxin neutralises CENTRE
WITH AGENCY INPUTS
NEW DELHI, JUNE 30
Delta variants: NIH POWER DISCOMS
The Supreme Court on
Wednesday put its foot
down on the issue of paying
for ex-gratia compensation
to families of those who
died of pandemic Covid-19
and directed National
Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) to issue
guidelines for payment in
six weeks. The court also
asked the agency to decide
the quantum of compensa-
tion. Observing that the
NDMA has “failed to per-
form” its “mandatory
statutory duty”, the apex
court ordered steps to sim-
plify guidelines for
issuance and correction of
“death certificates/official
documents stating the
exact cause of death, that
is, ‘death due to Covid-19’”
for enabling dependents to
get benefits of welfare
schemes. ■ P5
Accept our jabs or face travel
curbs here, India tells EU
DC CORRESPONDENT
WITH AGENCY INPUTS
NEW DELHI, JUNE 30
India has asked European
Union member countries
to either accept Indian
vaccines Covershield and
Covaxin or face mandato-
ry quarantine for its citi-
zens upon their arrival in
India.
“We have noted that the
European Union (EU)
Digital Covid Certificate
THREE MORE
DRONES SPOTTED
IN JAMMU AREAS
YUSUF JAMEEL |DC
SRINAGAR, JUNE 30
Three more flying objects,
possibly drones, were
spotted over strategically
important areas of Jammu
on Wednesday. Security
forces opened fire at them
following which they with-
drew, officials said.
The unnamed officials
quoted by local news agen-
cies said the drones were
seen hovering over Miran
Sahab, Kaluchak and
Kunjwani areas of Jammu
where several military
bases and sensitive instal-
lations are located.
They said that the first
“unidentified flying
object” at a height of about
1,000 meters was sighted
near a place called
Goswami Enclave
Kaluchak area at around
in
4.40 am. The second one
was spotted near the
Indian Air Force ‘Signal’
in the neighbouring
Kunjwani area and the
third at Miran Sahab at
around 6 am. “All these
activities on the third con-
secutive day were wit-
nessed near defence instal-
lations but the alert secu-
rity personnel quickly
swung into action and
opened fire at them.
The Delhi Police had reg-
(NCPCR). The case was reg-
istered under relevant pro-
visions of the Indian Penal
CITY | 2
CLEARS
`3.09 L CR FOR
Washington, June 30:
India’s Covaxin, devel-
oped by Bharat Biotech in
collaboration with the
Indian Council of Medical
Research, effectively neu-
tralises both Alpha and
Delta variants of coron-
avirus, the US’ National
Institute of Health has
said.
The NIH said results of
two studies of blood
serum from people who
had received Covaxin sug-
gest that the vaccine gen-
erates antibodies that
effectively neutralise the
B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and B.1.617
(Delta) variants of SARS-
CoV-2, first identified in
the UK and India, respec-
tively.
The top American
framework, to facilitate
free movement during the
Covid pandemic, is to
come into effect on 1 July
2021. Under this frame-
work, persons vaccinated
with vaccines authorised
by the European Medici-
nes Agency (EMA) will be
exempted from travel
restrictions within the
EU. Individual member
states have the flexibility
to also accept vaccines
that have been authorised
Protesting farmers, BJP
men clash at UP border
BHASKAR HARI
SHARMA | DC
NEW DELHI, JUNE 30
A scuffle broke out
between some local BJP
workers and the protest-
ing farmers at the Delhi-
Uttar Pradesh border at
Ghazipur on Wednesday.
Later, the BJP men held a
protest near the office of
the local police chief,
demanding that immedi-
ate action be taken against
the farmers who have
been blocking the high-
way since November last
year.
The farmers objected
when they saw the BJP
Sidhu meets Rahul, Priyanka
DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, JUNE 30
After making disgruntled
Punjab legislator Navjot
Singh Sidhu wait for a
day, Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi and AICC
general secretary
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
finally met him on
Wednesday.
The dissident leader first
Code (IPC), Protection of
Children
Offences (POCSO) Act and
the IT Act, police said.
NCPCR, the country’s apex
child rights body, asked
deputy commissioner of
police (cyber cell) Anyesh
Roy to explain why no
action had been taken
against Twitter as per its
letter to the Delhi Police
dated May 29.
COIMBATORE I THURSDAY 1 I JULY 2021
Khattar: Farmers adamant on repeal Ashwin nominated for
of farm laws, won’t serve any purpose
health research institute,
which has a history of
strong scientific collabo-
ration with India, also
said an adjuvant devel-
oped with funding from it
has contributed to the suc-
cess of the highly effica-
cious Covaxin, which has
been administered to
roughly 25 million people
till date.
Adjuvants are sub-
stances formulated as
part of a vaccine to boost
immune responses and
enhance a vaccine’s effec-
tiveness. Covaxin com-
prises a disabled form of
SARS-CoV-2 that cannot
replicate but still stimu-
lates the immune system
to make antibodies
against the virus. — PTI
at the national level or by
the World Health Organi-
sation. We have requested
EU member states to indi-
vidually consider extend-
ing similar exemption to
those persons who have
taken Covid-19 vaccines in
India, i.e. Covishield and
Covaxin, and accept the
vaccination certificate
issued through the CoWIN
portal,” highly placed
sources in the Indian gov-
ernment said. ■ P5
men, carrying party flags,
gathering at the protest
site at around noon. They
showed black flags to the
BJP men, setting off an
altercation which turned
violent. Stones were
thrown and the BJP lead-
ers’ car was allegedly
attacked.
The ruckus took place as
BJP workers were taking
out a procession on a fly-
way where the farm law
protesters, chiefly sup-
porters of the Bharatiya
Kisan Union, have been
camping. As the two sides
came near each other on
the Delhi-Meerut
Expressway at around 12
met Ms Vadra in the
morning, after which he
tweeted a photo with her:
“Had a long meeting with
@priyankagandhi Ji,” Mr
Sidhu wrote in the tweet.
In the evening Mr Sidhu
had a joint meeting with
Mr Gandhi and Ms Vadra
for an hour at the latter’s
residence.
On Tuesday, after Mr
Sidhu’s team sent out a
from Sexual
This comes days after the
Khel Ratna award
New Delhi, June 30: The
Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA)
on Wednesday approved a
five-year-long reform-
based result-linked power
distribution scheme worth
Rs 3.03 lakh crore for
strengthening system of
utilities to improve effi-
ciency.
Briefing after the CCEA
meet here, power and new
& renewable energy minis-
ter R.K. Singh said said the
funds would be given to
power distribution compa-
nies (discoms) to strength-
en their system. — PTI
EU APPROVAL FOR
VACCINE MATTER
OF TIME, SAYS SII
New Delhi, June 30:
Vaccine major Serum
Institute of India is confi-
dent of receiving approval
from the European Medici-
-nes Agency (EMA) for its
Covid-19 vaccine Covishi-
eld in a month, company’s
chief executive officer
Adar Poonawalla said on
Wednesday. “The EMA is
absolutely correct in ask-
ing us to apply, which we
have through AstraZeneca,
our partners, a month ago,
and that process has to take
its time. An approval
process even with UK
MHRA, WHO took its
time,” he said. — PTI
noon, a scuffle broke out
and they fought with
sticks, which led to some
injuries. Videos and pic-
tures surfaced on the
social media, purportedly
showing some damaged
vehicles that were part of
a cavalcade of a BJP politi-
cian, Amit Valmiki, who
was on his way to
Bulandshahr.
The farmers’ leaders,
however, alleged that the
episode was yet another
“conspiracy by the gov-
ernment” to quell their
protests against the three
controversial farm laws
and to give them a bad
name.
message about a planned
meeting between
Sidhu and the Gandhis,
Mr
Mr Gandhi said that no
such meeting had been
scheduled.
On Wednesday, the high-
powered committee set up
by Congress president
Sonia Gandhi to sort out
issues related to the
Punjab Congress mess had
also met.
In its letter, the NCPCR
had asked the Delhi Police
to book Twitter on the basis
of the findings of its recent
inquiry in which it had
found that child sexual
abuse material (CSAM) was
easily available on the plat-
form.
Meanwhile, rhe National
Commission for Women
(NCW) has asked the man-
aging director of Twitter
India to remove all porno-
NATION | 5
Vol. 11 No.185 Established 1938
CHASING INVESTMENTS
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, JUN 30
The state government is
working towards making
Tamil Nadu the best
investment destination in
south Asia and the target
will be achieved with the
help of the advisory com-
mittee comprising inter-
nationally renowned econ-
omists, Chief Minister
M.K. Stalin said here on
Wednesday.
Speaking at the event
organised by Hyundai
Motors India to mark the
roll-out of its 10 millionth
(1 crore) car, the Chief
Minister said the state
would soon become the
country's number one
state in industrialization.
Recalling the inaugura-
tion of the Hyundai facto-
ry at Irungattukottai near
Poonamallee in 1998 by
late chief minister M.
Karunanidhi, he said at
that time the chief minis-
ter had said that he would
make Tamil Nadu the
third industrialised State
in the country and
achieved it subsequently
during his tenure.
The state was in the fifth
place and then moved up
to the third position
through his efforts, which
Mr Stalin said was evident
from the development one
could see on the Chennai
to Poonamallee highway,
which had no industries
prior to 1996.
Similarly, the state
iNSIDE
DMK GAVE FALSE
PROMISE ON
NEET: EPS
Leader of the Opposition
Edappadi K. Palaniswami said
the state was forced to hold
Neet only because of the
Supreme Court’s order and
that despite knowing this, the
DMK, when contesting for the
elections, had stated the test
would be cancelled. DMK
gave false promises on Neet,
says Palaniswami
■ FULL REPORT ON 4
EAM FLAGS BIG
TECH FIRMS’
RESPONSIBILTY
New Delhi, June 30:
External affairs minister
S. Jaishankar on
Wednesday said that
issues like responsibility
and accountability of the
big tech companies
which enjoy huge power
and influence must be
debated and they cannot
be brushed under the
carpet.
Mr Jaishankar’s com-
ments came in the midst
of growing tensions
between Indian authori-
ties and social media
giant Twitter on a range
of issues including the
new IT rules. In an inter-
active session with for-
mer British prime minis-
ter Tony Blair at the
India Global Forum, he
said that a vigorous
debate on big technology
firms is going in India
like in various parts of
the world. — PTI
graphic and obscene con-
tent from the platform with-
in a week.
NCW chairperson Rekha
Sharma also wrote to the
commissioner of police,
Delhi to investigate the
matter and take appropri-
ate legal action.
"The NCW has taken suo
motu cognisance of several
profiles on Twitter sharing
pornographic content,” the
commision said.
SPORT | 8
Signatures of Chief Minister of M.K. Stalin and Hyundai
India managing director S. S. Kim seen on Hyundai’s 10
millionth car during its roll-out at the company’s manu-
facturing facility near Chennai on Wednesday.
would soon become num-
ber one in industrialisa-
tion, he said, adding that
the DMK government had
earned the necessary trust
to draw investments in the
past two months itself.
Trust was the most
important requirement to
draw investors, besides
development of technolo-
gy and multi-dimensional
businesses, he said.
Not only the starting of
new industries but also
the expansion of existing
ones would be encouraged
by the government, which
Body of missing
girl found in city
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, JUNE 30
A 11-year-old girl who
went missing on Tuesday
was found dead with
injuries near a public toi-
let in Kalpakkam on
Wednesday. The police
have detained three per-
sons in comnnection with
the case.
The police said the
deceased girl, Pixeetha of
Vengambakkam near
Kalpakkam, was a class-6
student in a government
school in the locality. She
went missing after her
visit to a browsing centre
where she paid the elec-
tricity bill and her father's
meat shop in
Vengambakkam at
around 5 pm. She did it
return home until 7 pm.
After an intensive
search, the parents lodged
a missing complaint with
the Sadras police station
later that night.
The locals on
Covid has murder
accused get bail
New Delhi, June 30: A
court here on Wednesday
granted bail to seven
accused in a murder case
related to the north-east
Delhi violence, saying
they cannot be incarcerat-
ed till the conclusion of
trial which is likely to be
delayed due to the Covid
pandemic.
The case pertains to
alleged murder of one
Vinod Kumar in Delhi’s
Brahmpuri area during
the communal riots on
February 24 last year.
In all, 12 persons are
accused in the case.
Additional sessions
judge Amitabh Rawat
granted relief to the seven
accused saying they “can-
not be incarcerated till
the conclusion of the trial,
which will take a lot of
time and particularly con-
cmyk
| 8 PAGES| 4.00
was keen that the factories
were spread out across the
districts, providing job
opportunities for the local
people, and not concen-
trated in one geographical
location, he said.
Calling upon Hyundai to
encourage other indus-
tries to invest in Tamil
Nadu, Mr Stalin said
industrial development
led to the progress of the
nation, the people and the
community and hence his
government saw industri-
alisation not as commerce
but as a way of life. ■ P2
Wednesday noticed the
body of Pixeetha in the
bushes near a public toilet
in the area with injuries.
The police retrieved the
body and sent it for post-
mortem at Chengalpattu
government hospital. The
police are investigating
whether the girl was
raped and murdered.
The police are conduct-
ing inquiries with the
detained persons, sources
said.
Meanwhile, the family
and relatives of the girl
blocked the Chennai -
Puducherry ECR road
demanding speedy action
and immediate arrest of
the accused.
Mamallapuram deputy
superintendent and other
senior officials rushed to
the spot and held talks
with the
protestors. The protes-
tors dispersed after the
officials promised to
arrest the accused at the
earliest, the sources said.
sidering the pandemic”.
Noting that most of them
have remained in the judi-
cial custody for more than
a year, the judge said,
“Considering the facts
and circumstances, peri-
od of custody, the applica-
tions of all the accused
persons are allowed and
they are admitted to bail.”
The court directed Sagir
Ahmad, Naved Khan,
Javed Khan, Arshad,
Gulzar, Mohd Imran, and
Chand Babu to furnish
personal bonds of Rs
20,000- each with one local
surety of the like amount
as a condition for bail.
They have also been
directed to not indulge in
any kind of criminal
activity, not leave Delhi-
NCR without the court’s
permission or tamper
with the evidence. — PTI
 CITY
DECCAN CHRONICLE | THURSDAY | 1 JULY 2021 | COIMBATORE
pg 2

Gym owners ask for

SHORT TAKES
Ecstasy tablets
from France and
Netherlands seized
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, JUNE 30

Customs officials at the

Chennai airport seized nar-
cotics pills worth `5.25 lakh,
which arrived from France
and Netherlands.
Two postal parcels contain-
ing 105 MDMA tablets which
arrived from Netherlands and
France at Foreign Post Office
in Chennai.
According to customs, the
first parcel arrived from
Netherlands and was
addressed to a Andhra
Pradesh based person. On
opening, a greeting card
“HOERA! JIJ BENT JARIG”
written in Dutch meaning
"HURRAY! IT'S YOUR BIRTH-
DAY" was found inside. On
opening it, a silver plastic
govt aid to stay afloat
T. SUDHEESH I DC
CHENNAI, JUNE 30
Though the government
has allowed private gymna-
siums in the state to oper-
ate with standard operat-
ing procedures (SOPs), the
fitness industry, hit hard by
the second wave of Covid-
19 before coming to terms
with the scars left by the
first wave last year, has
demanded government
support to stay afloat.
The fitness centres were
reopened on Tuesday after
over a month-long lock-
down. But the gym owners
say that clients are not
enthusiastic to return to
help including moratorium
on loans, relaxation of
building rent during lock-
down period and at least 30
to 40 percent discount on
electricity bill. We have
also asked the government
to give approval to reopen
gymnasiums in all dis-
tricts. Currently, the fitness
centres in 11 districts have
not been given assent to
reopen citing the Covid-19
caseload,” he said.
Jahangir also pointed out
that many clients remain
hesitant as the virus con-
tinues to spread. ‘We are
now trying to convince
valid members to retain
their membership by
Those who work out
should wear a face
mask and face shield with-
in the premise by main-
taining a 6-feet minimum
social distance. Apart from
this, hands should be
washed regularly with
soap or alcohol-based sani-
tiser.
N. Hari, a gym owner in
the city, says he had
reopened his gymnasium
with specific measures
issued by the authorities,
but old clients are hesitant
to come. “We have intro-
duced the contactless pay-
ment system, set the equip-
ment on floors with stipu-
lated distance, and created
option. We hope they will
rejoin the gymnasiums
when life returns to nor-
mal,” he said.
Vinod, a fitness enthusi-
ast, said he was happy to
continue his workout at
home till normalcy
returns. “I don’t want to
take risks at this point of
time though my fitness
centre has opened. I am
told the centre opened with HONOURING C-WARRIORS
strict SOPs. But I don’t
think that fitness centres
will be able to create a
relaxing vibe with these
restrictions. So I opted to Ripon Buildings illuminated on the eve of National Doctors Day and also as a
remain at home to pursue tribute to frontline workers and doctors who lost their lives in their fight against
workout,” he says. Covid-19. —DC
Meanwhile, the fitness

TN expects 71 lakh doses

pouch containing a ziplock
packet was found in which 50
blue colour tablets marked as
"Jurassis”, suspected to be
MDMA, valued at `2.5 lakh
were found inside.
The second parcel had
arrived from France and was
addressed to a Nagercoil based
person. On opening a ziplock
packet containing 55 skull
shaped pink colour MDMA
tablets of “MB MYBRAND"
valued at `2.75 lakh were
found inside.
Total 105 MDMA tablets
worth `5.25 lakh were recov-
ered and seized under the
NDPS Act, 1985.Further inves-
tigation is in progress.
centres due to the fear of a
possible third wave.
A. Fahad Jahangir, secre-
tary, Tamil Nadu Gym
Owners Association
(TNGOA), which has over
2,500 members across the
state, said they wanted a
moratorium on loans for at
least three to six months.
“We have submitted a peti-
tion to the Chief Minister
on Wednesday asking for
Mom ends life as
daughter spends
time on phone
extending the package
validity and offering
attractive packages’, he
added.
According to the state
government, the guidelines
are issued for minimising
all possible physical con-
tacts between staff mem-
bers and visitors as well as
maintaining social distanc-
ing and other preventive
and safety measures.
HC commutes death
specific pathways for enter-
ing and exiting the
exercise area. It’s hard to
convince the old clients
because most of them have
started enjoying home
workouts. Some clients
find it uncomfortable to
work out wearing a mask
and face shield. Many
clients returned home as
their employers gave them
the work-from-home
experts stress that it’s
important to operate the
gymnasiums with strict
SOPs because there are
many who suffer from dia-
betes and obesity. “Staying
healthy is the key in the
fight against Covid-19.
Maintaining a fitness
of vaccines in July: Min
regime at home will not be DC CORRESPONDENT
effective as there is no CHENNAI, JUNE 30
supervision and motiva-
tion by trainers,” they say. The state is expecting 71
lakh doses of Covid-19
vaccines from the Centre,
as scheduled, for July, said
health minister Ma.
Subramanian
Wednesday.
He told reporters here
on

that the state had received

almost 50 lakh doses of

to life term for killer

DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, JUNE 30
A 34- year-old woman took
her life near Manimang-
alam on Tuesday night due
to an argument with her
daughter.
vaccines in June. ‘’The
health department was
running out of stock for
the last couple of days
with 88,450 doses. After
J. STALIN I DC the chief minister took up
CHENNAI, JUNE 30
Health minister Subramanian along with HR&CE
minister P.K. Sekar Babu and health secretary
Dr J. Radhakrishnan receives around 2.5 lakh vaccines
at Central Government medical storage department,
Periamet, on Wednesday. —DC

The Madras high court

‘This is far more severe the matter with the
Centre, 2.5 lakh doses
were provided on Wedn-
doses while it received
1.46 crore since January,”
he minister said.
cases were reported
across the state so far. A
total of 7,000 beds have
According to police, the
deceased has been identi-
fied as Tamilarasi , a resi-
has commuted from
death to life sentence the
punishment imposed by
punishment than death’ esday. Now we have a
stock of over 3 lakh doses,
which have been sent to
Subramanian said that
steps regarding vaccina-
tion of pregnant and lac-
been set up across the
state to
Mucormycosis cases. If
treat

CM thanks Hyundai
dent of Manimangalam a trial court on an the districts. We hope vac- tating women would be treatment is taken in the
near Padappai in accused for killing his “If the appellant is sent to the gallows, his life will cines for July will start taken after getting the initial stage, the disease

for contribution
Kanchipuram district.
Police said Tamilarasi
lived with her two daugh-
From P1 ters Geetha (15) and Harini
(10). Sources said Geetha , a
When Mr Karunanidhi class 10 student, spent more
declared open the Hyundai time on her mobile phone ,
factory he praised the compa- despite several warnings
ny for giving 90 per cent of the from her mother. On
1,238 jobs to the people of Tuesday night, the mother
Tamil Nadu and was happy and daughter duo had an
that 637 youth from the vil- argument regarding
lages like Irungatukottai, Geetha’s alleged addiction
Keevaloor, Thandalam and to the gadget.
Chettimedu around the facto- After the argument,
ry had been given employ- Tamilarasi locked herself
ment, Mr Stalin recalled. inside a room in the house.
He lauded Hyundai for As she did not respond for a
becoming the No 2 car maker long time, the daughters
in the country in such a short called in the neighbours to
span and also for standing break the door open only to
first in export of cars - 31.3 find their mother hanging.
lakh units to 88 countries - The matter was then
thus contributing to the indus- reported to the police and
trial growth of the State. the woman was taken to a
Mr Stalin thanked Hyundai hospital where doctors
for contributing `5 crore to the declared her dead.
Chief Minister's Public Relief The Manimangalam
Fund and also helping the police registered a case and
state with other things like shifted the body to the
masks and sanitisers. Chromepet Government
hospital for post-mortem.
FUELS ANGER
CPI and VCK cadres protest against petrol price hike near Neyveli
House, PH Road, on Wednesday. —DC
wife, his mother and his
two minor children due
to financial stress caused
out of loss in business
and the demonetization
of currency notes, in
Pammal on December 12,
2017. The accused also
inflicted cut injuries in
his neck but survived
after treatment.
A division bench com-
prising Justices
P.N.Prakash and
R.Pongiappan modified
the death sentence
awarded by the Mahila
Court in Chengalpattu to
the accused
M.Dhamodaran alias
Prakash, to that of life
sentence while disposing
of the referred trial by
the state government
and the appeal filed by
the accused.
The bench made it
clear that the appellant
will not be entitled to any
statutory remission or
commutation until he
completes 25 years of
actual imprisonment.
According to the prose-
cution, the accused was a
graduate in Economics.
He married Deepa some-
time in 2010 and was
blessed with two chil-
dren, viz., Roshan and
Meenakshi. He contin-
ued his father’s business
in the name and style of
“Prakash Cloth Stores in
Pammal area, after his
father’s death in 2014. On
account of sudden
demonetization of cur-
rency notes by the
Central government in
2016, the appellant’s busi-
ness slumped badly, as he
was neither able to repay
his debts nor realize
them. As the debts start-
ed mounting, the appel-
lant fell into a sort of
get extinguished in a jiffy. Contrarily, if he is permit- arriving from Friday. The Indian Council of Medical can be cured easily. The
ted to live, the thoughts of his fiendish act of liqui- state has developed infra- Research guidelines. health department has
dating his mother, wife and two minor children will structure to inoculate at He said that mucormy- ensured adequate stock of
haunt him till his last breath, which, in our opinion, least 7 to 8 lakh doses a cosis (black fungus) cases drugs in the government
is a far more severe punishment, than the death sen- day. So far the state was in the district had hospitals to treat the dis-
tence. Hence, we modify the sentence of death into able to inoculate 1.45 crore declined, adding that 3,800 ease, he added.
one of life imprisonment with a rider that the appel-
lant will not be entitled to any statutory remission or
commutation until he completes 25 years of actual
imprisonment. This rider is added because he has to
suffer this long at least for the mindless violence he
had let loose on the hapless victims, all because, he
being a coward, lacked the courage to face the finan-
cial crunch he was into”, the bench added.
also saw the appellant
sitting next to the
injured, with cut injuries
in his neck. With the
help of the public, they
rushed to a hospital,
where the doctors
declared the four as
dead. On a complaint
given by Balakrishnan,
the police registered a
case and the Mahila
court, after trial awarded
frustration and resolved the death sentence to the
to commit suicide. It was accused.
alleged that between 5 The bench said coming
a.m. and 5.30 a.m. on to the death penalty that
December 12, 2017, the has been awarded by the
appellant took a kitchen trial court for the offence
knife and bludgeoned his under section 302 IPC,
wife in her neck. they were convinced that
Thereafter, he stabbed this case does not come
his mother in her neck within the category of
and stabbed his two chil- “rarest of rare cases” for
dren. After that he tele-
phoned his brother-in-
law and merely told him
that they were not able to
awarding capital punish-
ment, by applying the
principles laid down by
the Supreme Court in
Cycle turns handy in farming
N.SAMPATH I DC rope, his son Alexander a diploma holder, assists
live and they were all Bachan Singh’s case. The CHENNAI, JUNE 30 uses the handle bar to till him in ploughing and sow-
going to die and discon- trial court appears to the land. Ventaesan has ing. “I completed my
nected the call. On hear- have been carried away In order to eke out a liv- been cultivating flower diploma 10 years ago and
ing this, Balakrishnan, by the number of ing, an impoverished plants, including am still searching for
father of Deepa and his injuries that were found farmer and his son are Sampangi, for many employment”, he said.
wife Banumathi rushed on the bodies of the help- ploughing their land with years. After Covid-19 ‘’Due to a poor economic
to the appellant’s resi- less victims. Further, it the help of a refurbished struck, he was unable to background, we are
dence and were shocked has not been demonstrat- bicycle at Agoor village sell the flowers as markets unable to raise bulls and
to find a ghastly scene, in ed to them that the appel- near Tirutanni in remained closed. hire farm machines. The
that, they found their lant was addicted to Tiruvallur. After remov- Due to high labour cost labour cost also increased.
daughter Deepa, their
grandchildren and the
crime and that he was a
menace to society, there-
ing the front wheel, a
ploughing yoke has been
and rent of a ploughing
machine, Ventaesan
So we decided to till the
land on our own, he
appellant’s mother with by ruling out any possi- fitted to the cycle. While removed the front wheel added, seeking govern-
bleeding injuries. They bility of reformation. Venkatesan, 60, pulls the of Alexander’s cycle and ment aid to tide over the
vehicle with the help of a fitted the yoke. Alexander, crisis.

PETS IN APARTMENTS: LEGAL RIGHTS & DUTIES keeping with the slogan Let’s get this straight. swimming pool, no their animals are vaccinat- The key ingredients are Malojirao Bhonsle vs

Sanjay ‘adopt, don’t shop’, many

animal lovers rescue aban-
Pinto doned or injured dogs or
cats and take them home as
pets, or as stop gap shelter
till others adopt them. If
neighbours mount pressure
Residents’ Welfare
Associations cannot legis-
late. Their bye-laws cannot
override statutory provi-
sions. There are different
degrees of objections, usual-
ly from people who own
Residents' Association can
impose a bar on the use of
common facilities like lifts
while taking their pets out.
In a case on this point, the
Thane District Consumer
Forum in Ajay Madhusudan
ed against rabies and other
diseases, that they are not
ferocious and are on a
secure leash and preferably
with a muzzle when
taken out of the flat for a
walk and that their poop is
injury, danger, annoyance
and obstruction. If a dog
bites other residents or
scares children, then
obviously this provision
comes into play. Not if
it merely barks or passes
Rasikbhai Govardhanbhai
Raiyani (2000) held that they
are not accessible to the
public at large. “There only
the occupants of the flat,
their relatives, friends and
companions are entitled to

I
t’s a ‘pet’ peeve in many on them to throw these ani- multiple flats and think they Marathe Vs New Sarvodaya scooped by the owners or by with its owner. Barking enter the complex.” The
apartment buildings and mals out, they would be own the whole building, Cooperative Housing their servants if common is a dog’s natural court further ruled that
gated communities. encouraging violation of treating it as their personal Society (2008) had pulled up areas like staircases, eleva- expression. Not if it uri- Section 133 CrPC “cannot be
Barking dogs may seldom Section 11(1)(i) of the fiefdom. The only hitch in the association for deficien- tors and corridors are nates or defecates in a com- used for settlement of dis-
bite but that does not pre- Prevention of Cruelty to keeping a pet in your apart- cy in service under the soiled. Additionally, mon area. Animals don’t putes between private par-
vent neighbours’ tongues Animals Act,1960, which ment is an express prohibi- Consumer Protection Act although there is no penalty have remote controlled blad- ties.”
from wagging. Often it leads punishes anyone who “with- tion in the Rental and awarded compensation prescribed for not obtaining ders or bowels. As long as You can choose your

to heated arguments betwe-
en pet owners who staunch-
ly defend their right to keep
them in their homes, either
owned or rented; and others
who vociferously protest.
What rankles is that while a
pet is treated like a family
member, it is perceived as
and branded a ‘nuisance’ by
others.
JUSTICE
FOR ALL
There is no legal prohibi-
tion on keeping domestic
animals like cats or dogs in
residential complexes. In
out reasonable cause, aban-
dons any animal in circum-
stances which render it like-
ly that it will suffer pain by
reason of starvation or
thirst.” There is also a fun-
damental duty cast on citi-
zens under Article 51A(g) of
the Constitution of India to
“have compassion for living
creatures.”
Agreement. Other than the
house owner, no one is legal-
ly entitled to stop you from
rearing a pet.
However, on the ground,
even if pets are grudgingly
allowed, restrictions are
often imposed on taking
them in elevators. While a
dog obviously cannot be per-
mitted in an association
to the complainant.
Contrary to certain plac-
ards we see in parks, the
Animal Welfare Board of
India, in one of its
Circulars, made it clear that
pets cannot be banned in
such common facilities.
While pet owners have
rights, there is also a three-
fold civic duty to ensure that
a licence from the civic body
under the Madras City
Municipal Corporation Act,
1919, valid vaccination
records are a prerequisite
for its issuance.
The common refrain from
the ‘anti pet brigade’ is pub-
lic nuisance. This is covered
under Section 268 of the
Indian Penal Code (IPC).
the pet owner arranges for it
to be cleaned, the matter
should end there.
Section 133 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure (CrPC)
on removal of nuisance is
also invoked by angry
neighbours. But is an apart-
ment complex a public
place? The Gujarat High
Court in Ramachandra
friends, spouse, even home-
owner but not your neigh-
bours. Hospitality must
replace hostility, so that the
dogs bark but the associa-
tion carries on!
(The writer is an
advocate at the Madras
high court, columnist
& author)
DECCAN CHRONICLE | THURSDAY | 1 JULY 2021 | COIMBATORE pg 3
 STATE
DECCAN CHRONICLE | THURSDAY | 1 JULY 2021 | COIMBATORE
pg 4

Farm land submerged by DMK govt gave false CM pays tribute to

crude oil after pipe burst
R. VALAYAPATHY I DC
MANNARGUDI, JUNE 30
A large quantity of crude oil
submerged a fertile land
owned by a farmer after the
bursting of a crude oil pipe
passing underneath his field
at Panaiyur village near
Mannargudi in Tiruvarur
district on Wednesday.
promise on Neet: EPS Anna at his house
DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI, JUNE 30
Salem, June 30: Leader celling the exam only to said her telephonic con-
of Opposition Edappadi capture power. But after versations will not impact Chief Minister M K Stalin
K. Palaniswami demand- coming to power, it had the 1.5 crore cadre based visited the former resi-
The ONGC pumps out with a technical team the oil leak and a compensa- ed that the state govern- formed a committee, he organisation a wee bit. dence of DMK founder C
crude oil at Panaiyur, plugged the oil leak and tion of `10 lakh. ment clear the confusion added. He also took a dig Making it clear she is no N Annadurai, which is
Komala Pettai and held negotiations with Tiruvarur collector in the minds of students at electricity minister V longer with the AIADMK now a memorial, in
Keelmarudhur in Kottur farmers. P. Gayathri Krishnan and parents on whether Senthil Balaji for claim- since her expulsion in Kancheepuram and gar-
union near Mannargudi and The affected farmer, promised suitable action and the National Eligibility- ing that Tamil Nadu faced 2017, the former chief landed the leader’s statue
transports it to Narimanam Sivakumar, told visiting compensation to the affected cum-Entrance Test (Neet) frequent power outages minister said there has there on Wednesday, vow-
oil field for refining. One of reporters that the entire field farmer. will be conducted or not. due to squirrels running been an "overreaction" to ing to follow his footsteps
these pipelines exploded at was submerged with crude Thiruthuraipoondi MLA "The constitution of the A on power lines, saying her speaking to a few in the running of his gov-
Panaiyur village, sources oil and it will take at least Marimuthu and Mannargudi K Rajan committee to "squirrels can climb one party members. "She is ernment.
said. The ONGC officials one and a half years to set it RDO Alagarsami visited the study the impact of Neet line but not throughout not with the AIADMK and Stalin, who visited the
who reached the spot right. He wanted plugging of spot. on government students is the state." has no contact with the Hyundai car factory at
an eyewash as everyone Seeking to play down party. Not just 10, let her Irungatukottai near
knows that Tamil Nadu is expelled general secretary interact with 1,000 Poonamalee to attend the

Q-branch seizes NDC urges mountain policy for TN

forced to conduct the test V K Sasikala's purported persons, the 1.5 crore celebrations to mark the
due to the Supreme Court interaction with party cadre strong AIADMK company 25 years in the
order," he said. workers, AIADMK co- will not be affected," State, also took time to
2.5 metric tonnes B. RAVICHANDRAN I DC ing drinking water to several Rio de Janeiro in Brazil,
towns. Moreover, the hill sta- which is similarly endowed as
OOTY, JUNE 30
The DMK had made a
false promise on can-
coordinator K
niswami on Wednesday
Pala- he told reporters in
Omalur here. —PTI
drive to Kancheepuram
and pay tributes to the for-
tions will have to play a major Tamil Nadu, is the first mer Chief Minister.
of turmeric The Nilgiris Documentation role in the post-Covid revival state in the world to enact a Though he had wanted

M. ARULOLI I DC
Centre (NDC) has appealed to
Governor Banwarilal Purohit
law to protect the mountain
of tourism in the state. The
state’s mountains and their eco-systems following the
recommendation of the
3,592 kids lost one or both to visit the memorial and
seek the blessing of

THOOTHUKUDI, JUNE 30
The Q-branch police in
Thoothukudi on
Wednesday seized
2.5 metric tonnes of
turmeric fingers about
to be smuggled to Sri
Lanka from the
Pattinamaruthur coast
near Thoothukudi.
A country craft with
an outboard engine
along with a two-
wheeler and a culture and electricity. The
car used by the smug-
glers too were seized
though the culprits,
said to be around five,
managed to escape in
another boat and the
police are on the hunt
for them.
The seized goods
handed over to the
Customs department
for further inquiry
parents to Covid-19 in TN
for formulating a separate water resources are under Annadurai ever since the
mountain policy for Tamil multiple threats from real UN Mountain Partnership, DMK government took
Nadu. estate, invasive plants, mono- of which India is also a charge of the State for the
D. Venugopal, the director of culture, urbanisation, man- member. sixth time, he could not
NDC, in a memorandum sent animal conflict and proposed The law provides a frame- DC CORRESPONDENT V.Udhayachandran of Court. make it in view of the
to Purohit, stated that the gov- indiscriminate power projects. work for regulating conserva- PUDUKKOTTAI, JUNE 29 Vadakkipatti in Judge Dr Mrs. R. Sathya Coronavirus pandemic, he
ernor’s address on the opening So the NDC appeals to the tion of biodiversity, efficient Pudukkottai district took convicted and sentenced told the media at the
day of the current assembly Governor to recommend to the and sustainable use of moun- The district fast track the fourth standard girl to the accused to undergo 6 memorial.
session was path-breaking. state government to include tain resources, articulation of Mahila court, on Tuesday a hideout in the same vil- years RI and also The party founder’s
“But there is a genuine appre- protection and proper develop- traditional and modern at Pudukkottai, convicted lage and sexually assault- slapped a fine of `50,000. If advice to his followers was
hension that a critical area has ment of mountains among its knowledge, integration of sec- and sentenced a 30-year- ed her on December 17, he fails to remit the ‘go to the people and serve
been overlooked. The moun- priorities” he noted. toral public policies and old man to undergo 6 2019. fine, he should undergo them by going and living
tains of the state are crucial It is time the state govern- adequate realisation of agri- years of rigorous impris- Based on the victim's one more year imprison- with them,’ Stalin said,
for the development of agri- ment formulates a comprehen- cultural, sports, cultural and onment for sexually parents' complaint, ment. The judge also adding that would be his
sive mountain policy for the religious activities. This law assaulting a 9-year-old Ponnamaravathi police directed the Tamil Nadu government’s objective
waters of Nilgiris alone irri- sustainable development of its aims to protect mountain envi- girl. arrested the accused Government to pay which he had also noted
gate lakhs of hectares in the enormous and unique moun- ronments in an integrated According to the prose- under Pocso Act and filed `2 lakh as compensation down in the visitor’s book.
plains below besides supply- tain resources. way, Venugopal pointed out. cution, the accused a case in the Mahila to the victim. To a question on the gov-
ernment’s plan to christen
more schemes and institu-
Man attacks wife VP calls for ‘intelligent’ methods to counter drone attacks tions after Annadurai as it
has been done in the case
of Anna University and
Chennai, June 30 : therefore there was a Terrorism was the tion cannot be detected House- a joint collabora- Anna Centenary Library,
over dispute, ends life Expressing concern over
the use of drones to tar-
get the Jammu Air Force
need for new methods, he
said in his address after
visiting the site of the
enemy of mankind, the
entire humanity and ter-
rorists "are making us
by such military radars.
This is what happened
now in (Jammu and)
tion of IIT Madras and
Tvasta Manufacturing
Solutions, a startup.
Stalin
announcements
said

come when the State

such
would

were said to cost
around Rs 60 lakh in
Sri Lanka, where the
import of the yellow
spice has been banned
since December 2019.
A Q branch official
said this was the sec-
ond catch within a
week as on June 26,
three tonnes of
turmeric meant for
smuggling were seized
and five men arrested
at Therespuram coast
in Thoothukudi.
DC CORRESPONDENT quarrel with his wife Station, Vice President first 3D Printed House in restive and they are Kashmir. So we have to Observing that cutting Budget would be present-
ARIYALUR, JUNE 30 Shalfa. He attacked his M Venkaiah Naidu on India at IIT Madras here. affecting the growth of focus on that," he said. edge technologies pro- ed soon.
wife with a Wednesday urged the Two drones had the country," Naidu said. The enemy wants to vide a glimpse into the
A man committed sui- deadly weapon and she research community in dropped explosive mate- "The armed forces, of "cripple our nation, sub- future, the V-P stressed ● Though he had
cide by hanging himself was admitted to the the country to develop rial on the IAF station course, they have wide vert our system." the importance of scal- wanted to visit the
after attacking his government medical "much more intelligent located at Jammu air- area of air defence sys- "So the research com- ing them up so that they
wife with a deadly college hospital at methods" to combat such port on Sunday injuring tems with advanced munity must come for- are accessible to the com- memorial ever since
weapon following a Thanjavur, where her issues. two personnel. A cock- radars and missiles to ward and we must really mon man. the DMK
domestic quarrel at condition was said to be He also asked the tail of explosive materi- detect and thwart aerial come out with much "Technologies should government took
Vadakku Paranam vil- critical. Indian Institutes of al, including RDX, is intrusions by large more intelligent meth- not be limited to being charge, he could not
lage near Senthuurai in Kannan committed Technology (IITs) to believed to have been drones, UAVS (unman- ods to combat these only proof of concept. It
Ariyalur district on suicide by hanging him- focus on the areas of used. ned aerial vehicles), air- enemy's efforts," Naidu can greatly alleviate make it in view of
Wednesday. self from a cashew tree "eliminating terrorism." The case was handed crafts and helicopters." said. Naidu commended human suffering and the pandemic, he
Police said the nearby his house. Such low-flying drones over to the National "But the small drones the efforts of the team make a common man's told the media at
deceased Kannan con- Irumpulikurichi police could not be detected by Investigation Agency flying at low heights, behind the project of the life comfortable” he
sumed poison and had a are investigating. the military radars and (NIA) on Tuesday. with low radar cross-sec- country's first 3D Printed added. —PTI the memorial.

COFFEE-BREAK
CALVIN AND HOBBES|Bill Watterson

Your day today By Dr C.V.B. Subrahmanyam QUICK CROSSWORD

Aries: Empower team members to enable
them to live up to your expectations. Convey
your feelings to the person you love.
Pay special attention to your physical health.
Taurus: Invest on financially viable projects.
The planetary aspects around you show
deceptive influences. This will affect your THE WIZARD OF ID|Parker and Hartsd
personal life.
Gemini: The day will not have a promising
start. Do not invest your money in fanciful
schemes. It may not be possible to execute
plans that require team efforts.
Cancer: Quick thinking on the part of private
sector employees can win them bonuses.
Your dashing and dynamic nature will take
you to great heights in your career.
Leo: You are likely to be compelled
to spare sometime for your family against
your will. Today you will shower your loved ARCHIE|Bill Henry Scarpelli & craig boldman
ones with a lot of affection.
Virgo: It will be a busy and joyful day.
Focus on the needs of the family members.
Your beloved will try to please you.
Communicate with colleagues to maintain
harmony at workplace. Across Down YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
1.Saved from destruction (8) 1. Unwavering in loyalty (9)
You share your b’day with 6. Large external exhibition (4) 2. Pleas (anag) (5)
Across:
6. Vermicelli, 8. Avert,
Venkaiah Naidu, a prominent leader of the 7. Leakproof joint packing (6) 3. Retches (4) 10. Short, 13.
Anticyclone, 14. Obeys,
Bharatiya Janata Party is an Indian politician and 9. Sediment (5) 4. Fate (7) 17. Gecko, 19.
the current Vice President of India and the Chairman of 11. Long purposeful watch (5) 5. Take to court (3) Unresolved.
the Rajya Sabha, in office since 11 August 2017. 12. Fragrance (5) 8. Camera lens (9) Down: 1. Fete, 2. Emit,
13. Thick sweet liquid (5) 10. Eye-catching novelty (7) 3. Acts, 4. Alto, 5. BLONDIE|Dean Young and John Marshall
Libra: Do not allow your personal desires to Mistletoe, 7. Catalogue,
get in the way of your ambitions and career. 16. Platitude (6) 14. Happen over (5) 9. Rainy, 11. Halve, 12.
18. Repeat (4) 15. Sign (4) Rye, 15. Earl, 16. Sash,
Give more of your time and attention to 17. Gulf, 18. Clef.
employment activities. 19. Jumper (8) 17. Swindle (3)
Scorpio: Some of you will form new
love connections. A pleasurable trip
is possible. Focus on your health. Word Mine jumble
Problems like fatigue or itching may bother you.
Sagittarius: It’s a good day for enjoyment.
Meeting officials in an informal setting will B
work in your favor. Dedicate most of your time
to family and friends. NEU
Capricorn: There will be prosperity at home.
Monetary gains will arise from your
profession or business. Children bring
HAR R T ANDY CAPP |Reg Smythe

TODAY’S RATINGS: 30 AVERAGE; 35

happiness. You may have a good GOOD; 40 OUTSTANDING
relationship with your spouse. How many words of four or more
letters can you make from the
Aquarius: Your personal growth depends on how letters shown in today’s puzzle? In
you handle sensitive subjects. A relationship will making a word, each letter may be
used once only. Each word must
improve as the evening moves along. You may contain the letter at the top of the
have environmental concerns today. pyramid. There should be at least
one nine letter word. Plurals,
foreign words and proper names
Pisces: You can get a lot of work done today. are not allowed.
Your partner will be open to your ideas for tuber, turban, unbar, urban, urbane

change and progress. Today is a good day for burr, butane, HEARTBURN, herb, rebut, tuba, tube,
breath, brunt, brut, brute, bunt, burn, burner, burnt,

all round progress and prosperity.

bear, beat, beau, bent, berth, beta, bran, brat,
barn, barren, barter, bate, bath, bathe, bather, bean,

TARZAN|Edgar Rice Burroughs

ANSWERS: abet, abut, bane, banter, bare, barer,

O
n today's deal, East
bridge found a brilliant play, but
it proved to be too bril-
PHILLIP liant for his partner.
ALDER West had a textbook three-
heart opening, and South had
an automatic overcall of three
PARTNER no-trump. He might not make
DRAWS A it, but it had to be a worth-
while gamble.
WRONG West led the heart king. If
declarer had won this trick, he
the king, then led a diamond. seven tricks available before heart, six diamonds and two
When East's king appeared, West could gain the lead with clubs.
South would have just played the diamond jack to run his Why was West wrong?
low, keeping West off the lead. hearts. Sensing the problem, Because if East had the K-Q-
East, without a heart to play, South ducked the second 10-9 of diamonds, he wouldn't
couldn't have harmed declar- heart. have known that he could
er. South would have won 10 Declarer felt much better afford to signal with the king.
tricks: two spades, one heart, when West started thinking. After all, declarer might have
five diamonds and two clubs.
At the time, though, South
West was asking himself the
significance of East's discard.
had the ace-jack. West should
have led another heart, defeat-
ducked the first trick. West
continued with the heart jack,
Eventually deciding -- incor-
rectly -- that his partner was
ing the contract in the process.

CONCLUSION could have assured his con-

tract with an avoidance play.
He could have crossed to the
board with a spade or club to
and East, who had guessed the
position, discarded his dia-
signaling for a diamond shift,
West led the diamond four at Copyright United
mond king. If South won with trick three! Declarer claimed Feature Syndicate
the heart ace, he had only 11 tricks: two spades, one (Asia Features)
 NATION
DECCAN CHRONICLE | COIMBATORE | THURSDAY | 1 JULY 2021
pg 5

SHORT TAKES Long wait for the vax 3 ‘drones’ spotted

3 ULTRAS KILLED,
2 JAWANS HURT over strategically
IN J&K GUNFIGHT
DC CORRESPONDENT
SRINAGAR, JUNE 30
vital areas in Jammu
YUSUF JAMEEL | DC ● THE DRONES were seen
Three unidentified militants SRINAGAR, JUNE 30 hovering over Miran Sahab,
have been killed and two Kaluchak and Kunjwani
Army jawans injured in a fire Three more flying objects —
fight raging in a remote vil- possibly drones — were areas of Jammu where
lage of Jammu and Kashmir’s spotted over strategically several military bases and
southern Kulgam district important areas of Jammu sensitive installations
since Wednesday afternoon. on Wednesday. Security are located.
Earlier, a soldier was injured forces opened fire at them
in a barrage of gunfire that following which they with- Jammu region and, thereby,
came from behind scrubs in drew, officials said. as was claimed by it, foiled a
Daddal village of Sunderbandi The unnamed officials possible threat in this
belt close to the Line of quoted by local news gather- extremely sensitive mili-
Control (LoC) in Rajouri dis- ing agencies said that the tary area.
trict after the security forces drones were seen hovering The activity continued on
on noticing suspicious move- over Miran Sahab, Kaluc- Tuesday when the drone-
ment launched an operation in hak and Kunjwani areas of like objects were seen flying
the vulnerable area. Jammu where several mili- at a couple of places in the
The police and Army sources tary bases and sensitive same security belt.
said that fighting broke out in installations are located. The J&K police and Indian
Kulgam’s Chimmer village They said that the first Army officials in Jammu
after the security forces “unidentified flying object” had said on Monday that as
mounted a cordon-and-search at a height of about 1,000 many as 14 drones were
operation to take on a group of meters was sighted near a launched reportedly from
militants hiding there. The place called Goswami Encl- across the International
exchange of fire was on when ave in Kaluchak area at aro- Border (called Working
reports last came in. und 4.40 am. The second one Boundary by Islamabad)
was spotted near the Indian and Line of Control (LoC) in

ANIL KANT IS Beneficiaries not adhering to social distancing norms, wait in queues to receive Covid-19 vaccine dose, at a government school at Fazilpur
village in Gurugram on Wednesday. — PTI
Air Force ‘Signal’ in the
neighbouring Kunjwani ar-
the recent past.
They said that the areas

NEW KERALA ea and the third at Miran

Sahab at around 6 am. “All
which witnessed the activi-
ty include Jammu, Rajouri,

POLICE CHIEF
Pay Covid relief, frame
these activities on the third Samba and Kathua districts
SON: DRIVE TO consecutive day were wit-
nessed near defence instal-
of Indian-administered
Kashmir. Six sorties with
Thiruvananthapuram, June
30: Senior IPS officer Anil
REPLACE BSY, A lations but the alert securi-
ty personnel quickly swung
weapon payloads were
found in Samba sector,

Kant will be the new chief of
Kerala police, succeeding inc-
umbent DGP Loknath Behera
who retired on Wednesday,
government sources said.
A 1988 batch officer, Kant is
presently serving as the Road
Safety Commissioner in the
state. A cabinet meeting chai-
red by Chief Minister Pinar-
norms in 6 weeks: SC
CLOSED CHAPTER
Mysuru, June 30:
Karnataka BJP vice-
president, B.Y. Vijayen-
FROM PG 1 dra on Wednesday said
A bench of justices
Ashok Bhushan and
Accept our jabs or face travel the campaign by a sec-
tion of party leaders
seeking replacement of
into action and opened fire
at these objects,” said an
official.
On June 27, the overly sen-
sitive Air Force Station at
Jammu had come under a
terror attack when two low-
intensity bombs believed to
have been dropped by dro-
nes hit a barracks and an
three to four in Hiranagar
sector and two each in
Nowshera-Rajouri and
Arnia sectors.
J&K’s director general of
police Dilbagh Singh, said
that in the recent past
drones have been used to
drop weapons and narcotic
consignments.

curbs here, India tells EU

ayi Vijayan picked Kant for the
top post from the list of offi-
cers recommended by the
Union Public Service Commis-
sion (UPSC), they added.
The government also pro-
moted him to the grade of
Director General of Police
from the present ADGP rank
in the vacancy arising due to
the retirement of Behera.
“The government has exam-
ined the recommendations of
the Committee (UPSC) careful-
ly along with the service
records of the empanelledoffi-
cers,” an order issued by the
M.R. Shah, however,
noted the “peculiarity
and the impact and
effect” of the pandemic
and said that it cannot
order payment of Rs 4
lakh as ex-gratia com-
pensation which should
be decided by NDMA as
there was a need to
“focus simultaneously
on prevention, prepared-
ness, mitigation and
recovery, which calls for
a different order of
mobilization of both
financial and technical
FROM PG 1
The genuineness of such
vaccination certification
can be authenticated on
the CoWIN portal,” high-
ly placed sources in the
Indian government said
on Wednesday.
“We have also conveyed
to EU member states that
India will institute a
reciprocal policy for
for inclusion in the EU
Digital Covid Certificate
and recognition of
Indian CoWIN vaccina-
tion certificates, Indian
health authorities would
reciprocally exempt the
concerned EU member
state for exemption from
mandatory quarantine
all those persons carry-
ing EU Digital Covid
Certificate,” sources
in the (EU) Covid vacci-
nation passport. Until it
is approved, anyone who
has been fully vaccinat-
ed with Covishield will
not be able to travel to
Europe during the pan-
demic.
Serum Institute of
India CEO Adar
Poonawalla said
his father and Chief
Minister B.S. Yediyur-
appa from his post is
now a closed chapter.
Addressing reporters
here, he said, “Absol-
utely. No one is talking
about it anymore.”
Vijayendra was
responding to a query
whether the issue of
leadership change in the
state is a closed chapter.
He said the national
open space in quick succes-
sion, leaving two IAF per-
sonnel were injured in the
explosions that took place
within a gap of 5-minutes.
A day later, the Army
averted two separate drone
activities in Ratnuchak-
Kaluchak belt close to the
border with Pakistan in
NO COVID VAX IN MUMBAI’S
He said that the twin
blasts at the Jammu Air
Force base was a “terror
attack” in which IED pay-
loads were dropped using
drones. A security alert for
all vital installations in the
Jammu region as well as
Kashmir Valley was issued
on Sunday itself.

European approval for

Chief Secretary said.
The selection of Kant, who
always chose to keep a low pro-
file throughout his career,
came as a surprise for many as
the media had pointed out vig-
ilance director Sudesh Kumar
and fire and rescue services
director general B. Sandhya
as the main contenders for
the post.
resources”.
“We direct the NDMA
to recommend guidelines
for ex gratia assistance
on account of loss of life
to the family members of
the persons who died due
to Covid-19, as mandated
under Section 12(iii) of
Disaster Management
Act (DMA), 2005, for the
minimum standards of
recognition of the EU
Digital Covid Certificate.
Upon notification of
Covishield and Covaxin
vided..,” it said.
Dealing with the provi-
sions on compensation
in the DMA, it said the
word “shall” has to be
read as “shall” and “it is
the mandatory statutory
added. The European
Medicines Agency
(EMA) is yet to clear the
inclusion of Covishield
By not recommending
any guidelines for ex gra-
tia assistance on account
of loss of life due to the
pandemic, “it can be said
that the National
Authority has failed to
on
Wednesday said that the
its locally manufactured
vaccine is “just a matter
of time” and is expected
in about a month.
s i m p l i f i e d
procedure/guidelines
is/are required to be
issued by the Central
Government and/or
appropriate authority
for issuance of an offi-
general secretary and
Karnataka in charge
Arun Singh has clearly
stated that Yediyurappa
is running good admin-
istration and the
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) government will
complete its term under
his leadership.
“There is no need to
raise this issue (of lead-
ership change) time and
again when national
leaders, state Bharatiya
GOVT/BMC CENTRES TOMORROW
Mumbai: The COVID-19
vaccination drive in
Mumbai will be suspended
on Thursday at the civic-
run as well as government-
run centres due to paucity
of vaccine doses, the
Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation said.
In a statement issued on
Wednesday, the civic body
said the vaccination drive
will resume once it receives
a fresh stock of vaccines.
"The citizens of Mumbai
are constantly informed
about the vaccination,
depending upon the extent
to which the stock of vac-
cines received, and an
appropriate decision is
taken," it said.

NO HONEST relief to be provided to

the persons affected by
duty cast upon the
National Authority to
perform its statutory
duty cast under Section
cial document/death 61
certificate stating the
Janata Party president
and even the Chief

TAHSILDAR IN disaster - Covid-19

Pandemic, over and
recommend guidelines
for the minimum stan-
12”, it said.
Referring to guidelines
exact cause of death,
i.e., “Death due to Covid-
Minister have said that
he (Yediyurappa) would

INDIA: RAJ MIN.

Kota (Raj), June 30: A Rajas-
than minister has claimed that
above the guidelines dards of relief which of ICMR, it said, “We feel 19”, to the family mem- continue in his position
already recommended shall include ex gratia that the procedure bers of the deceased for the next two years,”
for the minimum stan- assistance on account of should be as simplified who died due to Covid- Vijayendra said. — PTI
dards of relief to be pro- loss of life...” as it can be. Therefore, a 19.”

Khattar: Farmers adamant on repeal

there are no honest tahsildars
in the county and even the up-
right ones take 2 per cent kick-
back. Rajasthan industries
minister Parsadi Lal Meena
said taking 2 per cent bribe is a
practice among the tahsildars,
naib tahsildars and patwaris
across the country.
Nowhere in India, one can
find an honest tahsildar, naib
tahsildar and patwari. I have
been a six-time MLA and
thrice held ministerial posts
several tahsildars, naib tahsil-
dars were deputed, they
always take 2 per cent (bribe),
he said during a public hear-
ing in Bundi on Tuesday.
The minister’s response ca-
me after Pradesh Congress co-
mmittee member Satyesh Sha-
rma raised the issue of tahsil-
dar (revenue officer) Pritam
Kumari Meena getting an
Awaited Posting Order (APO).
Meanwhile, Congress worke-
rs led by the party’s Bundi city
president Devraj Gochar rais-
ed slogans against the minis-
ter for allegedly not hearing
their complaints against dis-
trict collector Ashish Gupta.
COVID | CURBS Officers told to dispose of bodies of Covid victims in a dignified manner
of farm laws, won’t serve any purpose
Chandigarh, June 30:
Haryana Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar on
Wednesday said the prot-
esting farmer unions
should not remain adam-
ant on repeal of the new
central farm laws, add-
ing that making it a pre-
condition for talks with
the government does not
serve any purpose.
He also claimed that
only a “handful of peo-
ple” were opposing the
farm laws and that “com-
mon farmers are happy”.
Those spearheading
the agitation are in reali-
ty not farmers. Real
farmers have no objec-
tion with the farm laws,
they are happy, he said.
The Chief Minister fur-
ther alleged that those
opposing the farm laws
are only doing so due to
political reasons.
Their Punjab team is
doing so because polls
are approaching there.
But there are no polls
due in our state. Here the
agenda is to defame the
government using politi-
cal angle. And the
Congress is also support-
ing them in this, he said.
Khattar said the word
kisan (farmer) is a sacr-
ed one, but some inciden-
ts like the alleged sexual
exploitation of a woman
from West Bengal at the
Tikri border last month
have “prompted people
to raise questions”.
On Union agriculture
minister narendra Singh
Tomar’s appeal to the
protesting farmers to
end their agitation and
his invitation for talks,
Khattar said, “The farm-
er unions are adamant
on only one thing —
repeal of the farm laws
— without being able to
pinpoint at any short-
comings of the laws.”
It does not serve any
purpose if they remain
adamant on just one
thing and making it a
precondition for talks
with the government, he
said at a press confer-
ence here.
“What I feel is that
kisan word is a very
pious word. Everyone,
including me, the gov-
ernment, common peo-
ple, believe those leading
this agitation have faith
and respect towards far-
mers. But the sad part
which has come out of
this agitation is that so-
me incidents have happe-
ned prompting people to
raise questions,” he said
in an apparent reference
to the sexual exploitation
incident at Tikri border.
The Haryana Police
had last month launched
a probe into allegations
by the father of the vic-
tim woman, who died
after showing Covid-like
symptoms, at a hospital
in Bahadurgarh in Jha-
jjar district, that she had
been raped by two men
she had accompanied to
the farmers protest site
at Tikri border.
The CM also referred to
the death of a 42-year-old
man whose family mem-
bers alleged that he was
set on fire by four people
in Bahadurgarh. — PTI
CHINA'S
ACTIONS ON LAC
‘DISTURBED’
PEACE: FS
New Delhi, June 30:
China's attempts over the
last year to unilaterally
alter the status quo in
Ladakh were in violation
of bilateral agreements
and inevitably impacted
the development of ties,
Foreign Secretary Harsh
Vardhan Shringla said on
Wednesday and noted that
an early completion of the
disengagement process
could lead to the de-esca-
lation of forces there.
Delivering a talk on
"Global Rebalancing and
India's Foreign Policy"
organised by the
V i v e k a n a n d a
I n t e r n a t i o n a l
Foundation, he said
India's relations with
major powers have
attained comprehensive
strategic levels while
maintaining
autonomy.
strategic

"We have carefully tend-

ed our relationship with

Odisha extends partial lockdown till July 16

AKSHAYA KUMAR
SAHOO | DC
BHUBANESWAR, JUNE 30
The Odisha government on
Wednesday extended the
partial lockdown till July
16 as the Covid-19 test posi-
tive rate (TPR) hovered
around 5 per cent in several
districts.
The government, howev-
er, attempted to ease
restrictions in 20 out of the
30 districts which reported
below 5 per cent TPR. In
these 20 districts, the gov-
ernment allowed inter-dis-
trict bus and taxi services
and opening of the busi-
ness establishments for 12
hours – from 6 am to 6 pm.
In 10 coastal districts
where the Covid-19 situati-
on is slowly improving but
the TPR is above 5 per cent,
transport services will re-
main suspended as before.
The government, however,
extended the time for move-
ment of the public and bus-
iness activity by one hour –
till 2 pm, instead of the pre-
vious deadline of 1 pm.
Announcing the ‘unlock
guidelines’ in the after-
noon, chief secretary
Suresh Mohapatra said the
Covid-19 situation has
improved in 17 western and
southern Odisha districts
along with three districts
— Angul, Dhenkanal and
Keonjhar — in the central
part of the state.
The chief secretary
announced a withdrawal
weekend shutdown in
‘Category A’ districts.
Mohapatra said small hair
salons are allowed to oper-
ate in ‘Category A’ districts.
Outdoor and indoor film
shooting can resume while
daily markets and weekly
haats have also been per-
mitted in these districts.
Weekend shutdown will
continue in Category B dis-
tricts. Similarly, bus trans-
port will remain suspended
in these districts. Malls, Ci-
nema halls and jatras have
not been allowed and curbs
on marriages and funerals
will continue as usual in
Category B districts.
Meanwhile, the Odisha
government on Wednesday
directed all district admin-
istrations and civic bodies
like municipality, munici-
pal corporations and noti-
fied area councils to dis-
pose the bodies of the
Covid victims in a dignified
manner in consultation
with the bereaved families.
The government also ask-
ed the district administrati-
ons and civic bodies to ha-
nd over the corpses to the
family members if the dec-
eased tested Covid negative
at the time of their deaths.
the United States. It is an
exciting and forward-
looking partnership.
India and the United
States have also partnered
In a letter to the district with Japan and Australia
collectors, municipal com- in another forward look-
missioners and chief dis- ing partnership," he said
trict medical officers in a reference to the
(CDMOs), additional chief QUAD grouping.
secretary P.K. Mohapatra
stated that all Covid proto-
cols as per the guidelines of
the Central government be
followed during the dispos-
al of bodies.
He further directed that
bodies of the deceased be
handed over to their family
members in case they test-
ed negative for Covid-19 at
the time of their deaths.
The body must be covered
in a sealed bag for the safe
disposal, he stated.
 EDIT
DECCAN CHRONICLE | THURSDAY | 1 JULY 2021 | COIMBATORE
pg 6

1 JULY 2021

Courts, not govt, uphold Subhani

security for daily wagers
T
he most disturbing scenes India witnessed in recent times were
those of lakhs of guest workers walking hundreds of kilometres on
their way back to their village homes from the cities when India
got into a national lockdown last year. Bereft of their means of sus-
tenance and livelihood, they had little reason to stay back in the cities.
With no government aid coming their way either, they took the hardest
course of the long walk. Dozens of them died on the way. That the Supreme
Court of India fought shy of intervening and offering them help despite
pleas completed the picture of governmental apathy then.
The guest workers are lucky this time around, thanks to a resolute inter-
vention by the apex court. As per its direction to the Union government on
Tuesday, no guest worker should go hungry after being denied their statu-
tory ration. The government must speed up its own policy of “one nation
one ration card” by July 31 so that an Indian citizen covered under the
National Food Security Act can purchase his/her share of ration from any
shop in the public distribution system any-
where in the country. The court also reminded
The intervention the government that the right to food is one of
of the Supreme the bare necessities of life and that it was an
Court and several intrinsic part of the right to live with dignity.
high courts in the Setting the deadline, the court reminded the
governments at the Centre and in the states
matter is the that they have a bounden duty to ensure that
CPC: Party is the State LETTERS
THIRUKURAL IN BUSES

and State is the Party

second best none among the estimated 38 crore guest work- It is time for increasing
option a ers goes hungry during the pandemic. It was the usage of the Tamil
democracy can perhaps for the first time that a bench of the language. The
choose apex court put on record the contributions they
have made to the economic development of the Government of India
country, which could act as a basis for further in the June 1989 men (and some women
extending economic and social aid to this class of people. Tiananmen Square mas- too), known as Naxalites, has 18 officially recog-
In the process of reaching succour to one of the most vulnerable sections
of society invoking constitutional protection available to every citizen, the
Abhijit sacre, when the mighty
party felt threatened by a
operating
unwittingly)
(perhaps
as the
nised languages. The
local buses in Chennai
court also bared the chinks in the armour of the government of a country
which prides itself as the software hub of the world. It took note of the fact
Bhattacharyya small assembly of stu-
dents and dissenters; it is
PLA’s foot soldiers. Most
Indians remained in the and other parts of Tamil
that the court’s order in 2018 to complete the work the National Database seen now with the mas- dark, except those direct- Nadu are used by a
for Unorganised Workers (NDUW) portal, which could be a powerful tool sacre of Uighurs in ly affected in eastern and
to identify and cover all the eligible workers, has not yet been complied Xinjiang and the crack- later northeast India. multitude of people
fully. The government, on its part, had no compunctions in blaming soft- down in Hong Kong. The The CPC-PLA’s tenta- from different walks of
ware problems for the delay. The court now set a new deadline of first CPC-PLA murder, cles reach into every part
life and it is high time

T
December 31 this year for the completion of the work. he Communist
The intervention of the Supreme Court and several high courts in the Party of China
country to come to the aid of the citizen, hit hard by the pandemic, is the (CPC), which
second best option a democracy can choose. The first one is for the popu- begins its cen-
lar government to understand the implications of developments in tenary celebra-
advance as much as possible and stand by the people. If the executive tions on July 1, is vastly
branch of the government refused to deliver, then the judiciary will have different now from the
to step in. It is imperative that the government draws the right lessons revolutionary force it
from such judicial interventions. was at its inception,
when its mission was to
liberate its homeland
from the morass it had
sunk into. Today, the
Stop trolling Twitter CPC has all but forgotten
the revolution and trans-
formed itself into the
gress may have been
held in mid-July, so the
official date of the CPC’s
founding is a bit uncer-
tain.
The times were indeed
terrible. In the aftermath
of the First World War,
there were endless politi-
cal feuds, defeat, capitu-
lation, humiliation,
abject poverty, agrarian
distress, and a “war of all
against all” in China’s
hinterland. Into this sce-
nario emerged young
however, took place at
Xizang (Tibet) in 1950,
where the operations to
“cleanse” Buddhist semi-
naries continued for
years, eventually leading
to the Dalai Lama’s flight
to India in 1959.
In most external mat-
ters, though, the CPC-
PLA largely operated
through deceit, rather
than direct force, with
the major exceptions of
Korea in 1950, India in
1962 and Vietnam in
of China, and beyond.
Not only does the party
run every aspect of the
military and govern-
ment, with a cell in every
unit, and all appoint-
ments and promotions
possible only with its
approval; its reach
extends not just to state-
run industrial enterpris-
es but also the private
sector — including inter-
nationally known tech-
nology, telecom and e-
commerce giants. These
we should have
Thirukural written so
that everyone travelling
on buses sees it. The
Government of Tamil
Nadu has a separate
ministry tasked with the
development and
encouragement of the
use of Tamil. The state
government operates

T
he IT minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has been leading the battle establishment in the Mao Zedong, then just 28, 1979. It is evident for de- are usually coerced,
against Twitter, which had temporarily blocked his account while People’s Republic of as one constant CPC fig- cades that the CPC-PLA threatened, blackmailed
the local buses and
dealing with a copyright complaint against one of his tweets regard- China (PRC). Many ure through the worst of holds India in unalloyed or else persuaded to do there is a need to put a
ing the use of a photograph of A.R. Rahman’s national song. Governments would say it’s the PRC’s times, as the party was contempt, as it is con- the party’s bidding. stamp on Tamil culture
run by the national ruling party have also gotten into the thick of it in reg- real government — a role endlessly hounded by vinced this country’s The CPC doesn’t use
istering complaints against wrongful portrayal of the India map on the into which it has grown multiple, powerful messy, raucous democra- only Chinese nationals. through Thirukural. The
microblogging platform. The misrepresentation of Ladakh in one such for the past 72 years of rivals, resulting in all- cy and its multiple politi- All Chinese-origin peo- anti-Hindi agitation of
map was subsequently corrected, which is the general norm when such Communist China’s exis- round catastrophe. cal parties cannot be a ple living overseas might
mistakes are committed except if it is done in bad faith by countries inim- tence, ever since Mao Understandably, such match for authoritarian get a call for help, as sev- the 60s and a fascina-
ical to India. Zedong’s Red Army mindless bloodshed and Beijing. For reasons best eral cases emerged in the tion for Tamil literature
What the pattern of action against Twitter suggests is harassment of the swept into power in 1949, mounting casualties led known to them, some In- US courts of people with showcased by most
platform with a global presence, exacerbated perhaps by Twitter’s reluc- overthrowing Chiang to raising one’s own dians appear determined relatives or family ties in
tance to follow the new Indian IT law by which a grievance officer needs Kai-shek’s Kuomintang, forces from the ragtag, to ignore this reality. China being bullied into Tamil Nadu chief minis-
to be residing in India. While social media platforms like Facebook, relegating them to the indisciplined, but hardy, In several stages since spying or working for ters, especially
Instagram and Twitter have been accustomed to being treated as service island of Taiwan, target- inexhaustible source of 1949 — with interrup- the CPC-PLA.
provider “intermediaries” which carry content posted by third parties, ed by Beijing as a “sepa- peasant recruits in the tions during the Cultural For “Mission India”, Annadurai and
they have not shied away from taking editorial decisions. For instance, ratist province” but in countryside. Revolution and the brief the CPC-PLA will use Karunanidhi, and most
the banning for life of former US President Donald Trump by Twitter and the eyes of the rest of the Through such trials promise of the Deng every resource, anyone importantly, the fact
the filtering of content by Facebook when it came to theories on a possible world a thriving, flour- and tribulations was Xiaoping years — this with an Indian visa —
laboratory source of the Covid virus. ishing democracy. born the PLA in the mid- CPC-PLA monolith has from tourist to fraudster, that a verse of
It stands to reason that Twitter must follow the amended Indian law All those who regard 1920s, with Mao taking grown today into an criminal to smuggler; Thirukural conveys so
regardless of its problems in adhering to rules in various jurisdictions in the CPC as a political command after consider- oversized, overweight spies to cyber pirates;
which it has a major presence in terms of users. Its services are available party, perhaps the able friction within. and over-centralised sys- ocean-going fishermen to much sense are what
to resident Indian citizens and it operates in this country earning revenue biggest one in the world, Farmers transformed tem, which will be over- journalists; the People’s resulted in this practice.
and it must be held to account. The government should let its laws rule miss the point. It is any- into fighters under the burdened in the foresee- Bank of China to rail,
rather than overreach to the extent that the sum of its actions looks like thing but a party, it is CPC to “liberate and give able future as China’s telecom and highway
With DMK back in
persecution because a certain segment of people has been offended. just another name for the political emancipation to global ambitions takes techies, agricultural power, Thirukural gets
Actions taken must be within reason too, unless official India is so offend- Chinese State. Just con- the people”, giving birth the world head-on via advisers to embassy offi- back its pride of place
ed that it can ban Twitter like Nigeria has done. Ironically, the same peo- sider this. The People’s to Mao’s politico-mili- multi-pronged and multi- cials, even students.
ple were not averse to using Twitter to further their political aims. The sit- Liberation Army (PLA), tary doctrine: “The Party forked fangs, through Incidentally, China has- as the best way of
uation has the contours of a Mexican standoff. which has been locked in commands and controls land, air, water and n’t been giving visas to showing a great honour
a standoff with the the gun, not the other cyberspace. Indians since November
Indian Army in eastern way around”. Here were India got a direct taste 2020. to the saint
DECCAN CHRONICLE
Ladakh for the past one sown the seeds of the of the CPC’s meddling in How long will Indians Thiruvalluvar.
KAUSHIK MITTER K. SUDHAKAR year and more, is just CPC assuming control of the late 1960s, after the remain myopic and C.K. Subramaniam
Editor Printer & Publisher another wing of the CPC, the PLA and by exten- 1962 war, when poison gullible about the PRC’s
R. MOHAN and supreme authority sion to the future was injected into our real agenda? As our sov- Chennai
Resident Editor
over the PLA as well as Chinese State. body politic through the ereignty is trampled
LAW BREAKERS
DECCAN CHRONICLE offices are located at:
Chennai: SP 3 Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai 600032. Phones: (044) 22254747, the Chinese Air Force The firman of Mao’s Naxalbari movement upon and our soldiers get
22254748 and Navy is wielded by military mind continues starting May 1967; and killed at the border,
Coimbatore: 77 Vivekananda Road, Ramnagar, Coimbatore 641009. Phone: (0422) 2231255, 2231256 China’s Central Military till this day: “The basic the creation of a brigade hordes of CPC-PLA law- The usage of bumpers has been
Hyderabad: 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad 500 003. Phone: (040) 27803930-4. Fax: (040)
27805256. Commission, which too principle of war is to pre- of a few thousand young breakers go unpunished banned to ensure safety for all.
Bengaluru: 5th Floor, BMTC Commercial Complex, 80 Ft. Road, Koramangala, Bangalore-560095. Ph: is subordinate to the serve oneself and destroy in India. The govern- The police have been booking
08043460500; Fax: 080-22960551/52/55 party. the enemy.” (May 1938) ment seems to be in a the violators and fining them.
Visakhapatnam: Survey No. 1/3A Beach Road, Near Kailasagiri Ropeway, Sector-9 MVP Colony, When it began its jour- Also: “The CPC should All Chinese-origin trance. As the CPC But it is a matter of concern and
Visakhapatnam - 530 017. Phones: (0891) 2552333/2552334, Fax (0891) 2755285
Vijayawada: No. C 3 & 4, Patamata, Industrial Estate, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada (A.P.). Phones: (0866) ney 100 years ago, the pay great attention to the people living marks its centenary and shame that politicians still use
2555284/ 2555287, Fax (0866) 2555234 PLA was not a part of the study of military mat- overseas might get extends the reach of its them in their cars and SUVs.
Rajahmundry: Vemagiri, Dhawleswaram Rd, Rajahmundry 533125. Phones: (0883) 2417208, 2417618 CPC. It began with six ters.” (November 1938)”. a call for help, as Belt and Road plans, an Several vehicles of Tamil Nadu
Anantapur: Thapovan Colony, Bangalore Bye-Pass Road, Anantapur 515004. Phones: (08554) 276903, “small groups” from This politico-military economic disaster looms MLAs could be seen parked in
Fax: 08554-276904
Shanghai, Beijing, interface ensures that at several cases for India and the rest of front of the assembly with huge
Nellore: Survey No. 527/2, Burranpur Village, Venkatachalam (M), Chemudugunta Panchayat, Nellore.
Phone: (0861) 2348581/ 82, Telefax (0861) 2348580 Changsha, Wuhan, the slightest provoca- emerged in the US the world. bumpers in gross violation of
Karimnagar: Survey No. 1341, Vavilalapally Colony, Jagityala Road, Karimnagar 505 001. Guangzhou, and Jinan, tion, the CPC had courts of people RTO rules. Are rules only for
Phone: (0878 ) 2228908; Telefax (0878) 2220433 holding their first ses- absolute right to with relatives or The writer is an the people? Are they above the
Kochi: No. 3-B, 3rd Floor, DD TRADE TOWER, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road, Ernakulam, advocate practising in
sion in Shanghai in July mobilise and deploy the law? Hope the CM of Tamil
Ph: 0484-4039408
1921. There is some PLA to crush any situa-
family ties in China the Supreme Court. Nadu will advise and warn the
Kozhikode: No 6/1002 E, First Floor City Mall, Opp. YMCA Kannur Road, Kozhikode - 673 001
Fax : 0495 4019018 doubt about the July 1 tion or what it sees as being bullied into The views expressed are offenders.
Thiruvananthapuram: St Joseph Press Thycaud post, Cotton Hills, Thiruvananthapuram-14, Ph: 0471-
2735105/6/7, Fax: 0471-4016112 Gram: CHRONICLE Postal registration no: No. H/SD-348/2006-08ss
date, though; according opposition to its absolute spying or working personal. M.C.Vijay Shankar
to some the first con- control. This was evident for the CPC-PLA Chennai

N
o one’s willing to bell this
cat! The dramatis person-
ae are still largely the
same, but a stealthy U-
Dilip Cherian turn was in the works, say those in
the know at Sanchar Bhavan. The
question that isn’t being asked yet
Dilli Ka Babu is whether the government acted in
haste when in 2019 it chose to give
VRS to thousands of employees of
BSNL and MTNL. Two years later
the very punctilious telecom secre-
tary Anshu Prakash to take a view
on this rather critical call. For now,
some sources suggest that it’s cau-
tion that’s the leitmotif.
Prakash has directed that no ex-
staffer should be rehired until the
matter is “examined thoroughly”.
But if BSNL and MTNL have to sur-
vive he may not have the luxury of
too much time. Of course, there are
entities despite it having been
strategically inviolable for long.
Few are likely to question that
move as this was an old pending
demand of the armed forces.
But at Sanchar Bhavan the issues
are different. After all, BSNL and
MTNL are a rather different case.
Which may partly explain why the
telecom ministry is walking on
eggshells on this subject.
staffed and overworked. A rather
unusual babu logic for geographic
spread.
Months later, the plan is being
implemented at a painfully slow
pace, which far from improving
efficiency has actually led to key
proposals piling up, many now
found to be still pending. Informed
sources say that the ministry has
not even managed to fill the staff
new staff has created more work
for the old staff officers, who now
have been saddled with work of the
new offices that were to have been
set up. Only half of the around 500
proposals submitted since last year
that require the ministry’s
approval for projects on forest land
are still pending. While this may be
a good thing, there’s danger lurk-
ing on the edges.

Will Centre have that decision has come back to

haunt the babus in the department
of telecommunications (DoT). The
two financially troubled state-run
some whispers about how this situ-
ation might actually spur the gov-
ernment to hive off its now not so
valuable stake in these telecom
BAD TIMING FOR EXPANSION OF
MOEF, REPRIEVE FOR NATURE
Last year when environment min-
positions for the newly created
regional offices. Given the scram-
ble for jobs of this variety, the only
explanation that former staffers
But the bigger question is,
whether all this rearrangement
was really necessary at a time
when the nation is reeling under

to re-hire MTNL telecom companies are currently

struggling to remain operational
after this rather drastic surgery
behemoths of the past and be able
to justify it too. That would howev-
er be yet another acrimonious
ister Prakash Javadekar green-lit
the setting up of 19 integrated
regional offices of his ministry
can proffer is that the efforts were
only half-hearted.
Some new offices in Jaipur,
the Covid pandemic and the econo-
my needs a big lift? Those propos-
als pending with Javadekar’s

& BSNL staffers which did not work.

There is growing desperation in
Sanchar Bhavan and murmurs
hint at a section of babus who now
debate in the making.
Remember, the government has
just announced recently a further
restructuring of another state-
across the country, his stated aim
was that the ministry’s expansion
would lead to better coordination
and monitoring of the work, with-
Shimla, Jammu, Kolkata and
Gandhinagar have not made even a
single appointment so far, after all
the initial fanfare! With the plan
babus could have been a big help,
some insist, though nature may
have unwittingly got a brief
reprieve.

it laid off earlier? want to rehire as consultants the

very babus who were retired with a
golden handshake! It is now up to
owned organisation
Ordnance Factory Board — which
—

is being split into seven corporate

the out stretching his ministry’s staff.
His babus had been complaining
apparently that they were under-
barely moving, the ministry’s
workload has now actually
increased. The delay in appointing
Share a babu experience! Follow
dilipthecherian@Twitter.com.
 THURSDAY | 1 JULY 2021 | COIMBATORE
quick CCEA okays `3.03 L cr
BITES scheme for discoms
INDICATORS % FC BUREAU
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Gold (10gm)* (`) 45,783▼264 0.57
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IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.051 0.00
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* As of 8:30 PM IST
Amul raises milk
prices by `2 per
litre across India
Prices of Amul milk will be
increased by Rs 2 per litre with
effect from July 1 across all
brands. R.S. Sodhi, MD, Gujarat
Cooperative Milk Marketing
Federation, said the price was
being hiked after a gap of one
year and seven months. "The
new prices will be applicable
on all Amul milk brands like
Gold, Taaza, Shakti, T-special,
as well on cow and buffalo
milk," said Sodhi. He said the
price hike became unavoidable.
WORLD MIT, Harvard mask can diagnose virus
TAKES
SHORT
TIGRAY FIGHTERS
IN ETHIOPIA SAY
NO TO CEASE-FIRE
Nairobi, June 30: The fighters
now retaking parts of Ethiop-
ia’s Tigray region will pursue
soldiers from neighbouring
Eritrea back into their country
and chase Ethiopian forces to
Addis Ababa if that’s what it
takes to weaken their military
powers, their spokesman said
Tuesday, as a conflict that has
killed thousands of civilians
looked certain to continue.
In an interview, Getachew
Reda said that we’ll stop at
nothing to liberate every
square inch of the Tigray
region of six million people,
nearly eight months after fight-
ing erupted between the Tigray
forces and Ethiopian soldiers
backed by Eritrea.
WFP WARNS OF
BIBLICAL FAMINE
WITHOUT ACTION
Rome, June 30: The head of
the UN’s World Food Program-
me warned Wednesday there
could be “unprecedented fami-
ne of biblical proportions” in
dozens of countries without fu-
rther action to address food
shortages. Speaking at a G20
event on humanitarian aid in
Brindisi, Italy, WFP chief Dav-
id Beasley said world leaders
had stepped up last year with
funds to help those already
struggling when the Coronav-
irus pandemic hit.
SEX ASSAULT:
COSBY CONVICTION
OVERTURNED
Philadelphia, June 30: Penn-
sylvania’s highest court threw
out Bill Cosby’s sexual assault
conviction and opened the way
for his immediate release from
prison Wednesday in a stun-
ning reversal of fortune for the
comedian once known as
“America’s Dad”, ruling that
the prosecutor who brought
the case was bound by his pre-
decessor’s agreement not to
charge Cosby.
Cosby, 83, has served more than
two years of a three- to 10-year
sentence after being found
guilty of drugging and violat-
ing Temple University sports
administrator Andrea Consta-
nd at his suburban Philadelp-
hia home in 2004.
Fund release conditional under new plan
NEW DELHI, JUNE 30
The Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA)
on Wednesday approved a
five-year, reform-based and
result-linked power distri-
bution scheme worth Rs
3.03 lakh crore, for
strengthening the systems
of utilities to improve
their efficiency.
The Reform-Based Result-
Linked Power Distri-
bution Scheme was
announced in the Budget
in February this year.
In a briefing post-the
CCEA meeting, R. K.
Singh, the Union minister
for power and new and
renewable energy, said,
"We have done a lot for
power distribution
reforms. It needs to be
strengthened. Today, the
Cabinet has approved the
new scheme worth Rs 3.03
lakh crore, including Rs
97,000 crore central outlay."
He said the funds would
be given to power distri-
bution companies (dis-
coms) to strengthen their
systems. He said, “we
need to do back-end
strengthening to commen-
surate with our expan-
sion (of power sector),
which is the main objec-
tive of this scheme".
He said there is a differ-
ence between this scheme
and earlier scheme as fund
allocation under this
scheme is conditional.
Discoms that are in loss-
es cannot get funding
under this scheme unless
they make plan to reduce
the loss trajectory, get it
approved by the state and
submit that to the Centre.
It has embedded sensors that monitor health workers’ exposure to variety of pathogens
Boston, June 30: Resea-
rchers at MIT and
Harvard University have
designed a new mask
that can diagnose if the
wearer is infected with
SARS-CoV-2, the virus
which causes Covid-19,
within 90 minutes.
The mask design, desc-
ribed in the journal
Nature Biotechnology,
has embedded tiny, dis-
posable sensors that can
be fitted into other mas-
ks, and could also be ad-
apted to detect other vir-
uses. The researchers
showed that the sensors
could be incorporated
into not only masks but
also clothing such as lab
coats, potentially offeri-
ng a new way to monitor
health care workers’ ex-
posure to a variety of pa-
thogens or other threats.
We have demonstrated
that we can freeze-dry a
broad range of synthetic
biology sensors to detect
viral or bacterial nucleic
acids, as well as toxic ch-
emicals, including nerve
toxins,” said James Coll-
ins, a professor at Mass-
achusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) in the
US. “We envision that
this platform could
enable next-generation
wearable biosensors for
first responders, health
care personnel, and mili-
tary personnel,” Collins,
the senior author of the
study, said.
The mask sensors are
designed so that they
can be activated by the
wearer when they are
ready to perform the
test, and the results are
only displayed on the
inside of the mask, for
the privacy of the user.
As the researchers
were finishing up their
work on the wearable
sensors early in 2020,
Covid-19 began spreadi-
ng around the globe, so
they quickly decided to
try using their technolo-
gy to create a diagnostic
for the SARS-CoV-2 vir-
us. To produce their dia-
gnostic mask, the resear-
chers embedded freeze-
dried sensors into a
paper mask.
These freeze-dried co-
mponents are surround-
ed by silicone elastomer,
the researchers said.
The sensors are placed
on the inside of the
mask. — PTI
Under the scheme, the
target is to reduce aggre-
gate technical and com-
mercial (AT&C) loss to 12
per cent in the next five
year, Singh said. Currently,
the AT&C losses are at
around 21 per cent, the
minister added.
On Monday, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitha-
praman again announced
the scheme as part of the
stimulus package to boost
the economy.
The revamped reforms-
based result-linked power
distribution scheme will
provide financial assis-
tance to discoms for infra-
structure creation, up-gra-
dation of system, capacity
building and process
improvement.
It provides state-specific
intervention in place of
'one size fits all'.
For availing this scheme,
the states will have to pre-
qualify criteria like publi-
cation of audited financial
reports, upfront liquida-
tion of state government's
dues and subsidy to dis-
coms, and non-creation of
additional regulatory
assets.
A traditional Thai statue wears a mask as a campaign
for travellers to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at the
departure terminal of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok
on Wednesday.
No AZ vax for
under 40s: Oz
Canberra, June 30: The
Queensland and Western
Australia state governme-
nts on Wednesday advised
people under age 40 not to
take the AstraZeneca vac-
cine because of the risk of
a rare blood clotting dis-
order, despite the Austral-
ian government making
those shots available to
all adults.
The state governments’
advice to those under 40 is
based on British govern-
ment guidelines, while
the new federal governm-
ent’s position acknowled-
ges the scarcity of the Pf-
izer vaccine and an urge-
nt need to accelerate a
slow national rollout.
The disagreement has
stoked confusion as aro-
und half Australia’s pop-
ulation is locked down in
Queensland, Western Au-
stralia, New South Wales
and the Northern Terri-
The scheme envisages 25
crore smart meters, 10,000
feeders, four lakh km of
low-tension overhead lines
planned under the ongoing
works under central gov-
ernment schemes.
The central schemes
Integrated Power Develop-
ment Scheme (IPDS), Deen
Dayal Upadhyaya Gram
Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY),
and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj
Bijli Har Ghar Yojana
(Saubhagya) will be
merged.
The total allocation will
be Rs 3,03,058 crore, includ-
ing central government
share of Rs 97,631 crore.
The revamped distribu-
tion sector scheme would
be available till 2025-26.
The scheme has a major
focus on improving elec-
tricity supply for the farm-
ers and for providing day-
time electricity to them
through solarisation of
agricultural feeders.
This scheme converges
with the Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Urja Suraksha
Evem Utthan Mahabhiyan
(PM-Kusum) Scheme,
which aims to solarise all
feeders.
— AFP
tory due to new clusters,
mostly of the Delta varia-
nt, which is thought to be
more contagious.
Australians have a choi-
ce of only two vaccines
and locally manufactured
AstraZeneca is more plen-
tiful. Queensland Chief
Health Officer Jeannette
Young said younger adu-
lts should wait for Pfizer
to become available, desp-
ite only 5% of all Austra-
lians being fully vaccinat-
ed. With only 42 Coronav-
irus cases active in Quee-
nsland, AstraZeneca was
not worth the risk for
younger adults, she said.
No, I do not want under
40s to get AstraZeneca
because they are at
increased risk of getting
— it is rare — but they’re
at increased risk of getti-
ng that rare clotting syn-
drome, Young said.
— AP
ECONOMY MAY
TAKE LONGER TO
HIT $5 TRILLION
GOAL: SANYAL
Sanjeev
Sanyal
Indore, June 30: India's
economy is on the mend
after the pandemic-
induced shocks but it
may take "an additional
year or so" to achieve the
$5 trillion-mark, said
Sanjeev Sanyal, princi-
pal economic advisor to
the Union Ministry of
Finance, on Wednesday.
The GDP growth rate is
expected to be positive in
the April-June quarter,
he said, speaking to
reporters here.
"Of course, disruptions
will be there. We had set
a target of becoming a $5
trillion economy by 2024-
25. It may take an addi-
tional year or so to
achieve this," he said.
“But given the shocks
we went through (due to
the pandemic), it's noth-
ing,” said Sanyal, here to
attend a programme of
the Department of
Economics of Devi
Ahilya University.
The economy has start-
ed to recover rapidly
after the second wave of
the pandemic subsided,
and the GDP growth rate
is expected to be positive
in the April-June quar-
ter, he said. "If no major
damage from the (possi-
ble) third wave of the
pandemic is seen in the
country and vaccination
continues at the same
pace, then you will see
growth in the economy
in the next three-four
months, he added.— PTI
Mix AZ, Pfizer
vax for immunity
London, June 30: Alte-
rnating doses of the Ox-
ford-AstraZeneca and Pfi-
zer-BioNTech vaccines
generate robust immune
response against Covid-
19, according to a study
led by researchers from
the University of Oxford
in the UK.
The yet-to-be-published
study found that both mi-
xed schedules — Pfizer
followed by AstraZeneca,
and vice versa — induced
high concentrations of
antibodies against the
SARS-CoV2 spike protein
when doses were admini-
stered four weeks apart.
The spike protein helps
the virus to infect and
enter the human cells,
and current vaccines are
targeted against it. The
findings, posted on The
Lancet pre-print server
on June 25, suggest all
possible vaccination sche-
dules involving the Ast-
raZeneca vaccine, known
as Covishield in India,
and Pfizer preventive co-
uld potentially be used
against Covid-19.
The study evaluated mix
and match combinations
of the two vaccines to see
to what extent these pre-
ventives can be used int-
erchangeably, potentially
allowing flexibility in glo-
bal vaccine roll-out. The
researchers enrolled 830
participants, including
2nd day record Russia toll
Moscow, June 30: Coron-
avirus deaths in Russia
hit a record for the second
day in a row on Wedne-
sday, with the authorities
reporting 669 new deaths,
the highest daily tally in
the pandemic.
The previous record, of
652 new deaths, was regis-
tered on Tuesday.
Russia has struggled to
cope with a surge in infec-
tions and deaths in recent
weeks that comes amid
rather slow vaccination
rates. Russia’s state Coro-
navirus task force record-
Four years on, GST is
still on road to perfection
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, JUNE 30
Despite completing four
years, the goods and serv-
ices tax (GST) system is
yet to overcome all the
challenges posed by the
mammoth project. While
steps have been taken by
the government to iron
out glitches and address
unforeseen concerns of
the taxpayers, challenges
with regard to compensa-
tion cess, inverted duty
structure, exclusion of
certain sectors and diver-
gent ruling state-level
advance authorities still
remain.
The nationwide indirect
tax system was rolled out
on July 1, 2017 by subsum-
ing 17 local levies like
excise duty, service tax
and VAT and 13 cesses.
"Looking at the past
four years since the intro-
duction of GST, one can
say it has been a challeng-
ing but exciting journey...
Various amendments
have been brought in to
smoothly transit into the
vision of "one nation one
tax," said Abhishek Jain,
tax partner, EY.
However, a few pain
points still remain. The
inverted duty structure is
a major issue that needs
resolution. In this, the tax
rate on input used is high-
er than the rate on the
output for sale.
Some of the sectors like
oil & gas, electricity and
real estate have been kept
out of the purview of
GST. In the case of oil &
gas, five major products,
including petrol, diesel,
crude, natural gas and
aviation turbine fuel,
have been excluded from
GST. While the sector is
463 who were given a sec-
ond dose at an interval of
28 days. The mean age of
the participants was 57.8
years, 45.8 per cent were
female, and 25.3 per cent
were from ethnic minori-
ties. “The results show
that when given at a four-
week interval both mixed
schedules induce an imm-
une response that is abo-
ve the threshold set by the
standard schedule of the
AstraZeneca vaccine,”
said Professor Matthew
Snape, Associate Profess-
or in Paediatrics and Vac-
cinology at the University
of Oxford.
The researchers noted
that an AstraZeneca/Pfi-
zer schedule induced hi-
gher antibodies and T-cell
responses than a Pfizer
dose followed by AstraZe-
neca. Both of these indu-
ced higher antibodies
than the licensed, and
highly effective ‘standard’
two-dose AstraZeneca sc-
hedule, they said.
The highest antibody re-
sponse was seen after the
two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech
schedule, and the highest
T cell response from Oxf-
ord-AstraZeneca followed
by Pfizer-BioNTech, acco-
rding to the study.
The T cell response is an
essential part of the host
immune response to
acute virus infection.
— PTI
● THE PREVIOUS
record, of 652 new
deaths, was registered
on Tuesday.
ed has been registering
over 20,000 new Coronavi-
rus cases and around 600
deaths every day since
last Thursday. On Wednes-
day, 21,042 new contagions
were recorded.
Russian officials have bl-
amed the surge, which st-
arted in early June, on Ru-
ssians’ lax attitude toward
GOVT TO HONOUR 54K GST PAYERS
New Delhi, June 30:
The finance ministry on
Wednesday said it will
issue certificates of
appreciation to 54,439
GST payers for timely fil-
ing of returns and cash
payment of the tax, to
mark the fourth anniver-
sary of the tax reform.
More than 66 crore GST
returns have been filed
so far, the ministry said.
More than 88 per cent of
these taxpayers are
MSMEs, with micro (36
per cent), small (41 per
cent) and medium enter-
prises (11 per cent)
involved in the supply of
goods and services.
Businesses with a
turnover of up to Rs 40
lakh are exempt from
GST. Also, those with a
not able to rightly get the
input tax credit due to the
exclusion, continuous
increase in taxes by the
Centre and the state gov-
ernments is a major
worry for the customers.
GST compensation for
the states has become a
major Centre-state issue
due to the fall of collec-
tions in the face of the
pandemic. The Centre
had agreed to compensate
the states if they do not
achieve 14 per cent
growth in revenues for
five years. With the com-
pensation cess, the Centre
was managing to compen-
sate the states witnessing
a shortfall. However, the
pandemic has made
things worse and the
Centre has to borrow on
the behalf of states to
KIM SACKS
TOP N. KOREAN
OFFICIALS
Seoul, June 30: North
Korean leader Kim Jong
Un replaced several sen-
ior officials after a “cru-
cial” Coronavirus inci-
dent, state media report-
ed Wednesday, potential-
ly signalling a breach in
the country’s epidemic
defences. Pyongyang clo-
sed its borders in Janu-
ary last year to try to
protect itself against the
virus. It has not publicly
confirmed any cases of
the disease at any point.
— AFP
LOCKDOWN IN
B’DESH AFTER
VIRUS SURGE
Dhaka, June 30: In a
state-run hospital near
Bangladesh’s border
with India, Shahinul
Islam prays his father
does not become one of
the facility’s more than
300 patients who’ve died
this month from the
Coronavirus. Hundreds
like his father are strug-
gling to breathe in the
Covid-19 treatment unit,
while Islam waits in an
emergency room packed
with people. Relatives
rush in and out, desper-
ately trying to find oxy-
gen cylinders. — AP
taking necessary precau-
tions, growing prevalence
of more infectious varian-
ts and laggard vaccination
rates. Although Russia
was among the first count-
ries to announce and dep-
loy a Coronavirus vacci-
ne, just over 15 per cent of
the population has receiv-
ed at least one shot.
Russia’s Coronavirus
task force has reported
more than 5.5 million con-
firmed Coronavirus cases
in the pandemic and
135,214 deaths.
— AP
pg 7
turnover up to Rs 1.5
crore can opt for the
composition scheme and
pay only 1 per cent tax.
For services, businesses
with turnover up to Rs 20
lakh are GST-exempt,
and those having
turnover up to Rs 50 lakh
can opt for the composi-
tion scheme and pay 6
per cent tax.
Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi, in tweet, said,
"GST has been a mile-
stone in the economic
landscape of India. It has
decreased the number of
taxes, compliance bur-
den & overall tax burden
on common man while
significantly increasing
transparency, compli-
ance and overall collec-
tion." —PTI
compensate them. While
the compensation cess
will be charged beyond
five years to repay this
debt, the states are also
asking for compensation
beyond five years.
The divergent and con-
flicting decisions by the
advanced ruling authori-
ties in different states are
a major concern for tax-
payers. The GST Council
is planning to constitute
an appellate authority
over these entities to
avoid the confusion.
While GST was meant
to lower compliance
related complications,
the services industry
now has to make separate
registrations in each
state and the rates too are
higher compared to pre-
GST times.
Vladimir Putin
PUTIN SAYS U.S.
CRAFT INVOLVED
IN BLACK SEA
INCIDENT
Moscow, June 30: Rus-
sian President Vladimir
Putin said Wednesday
that a US reconnaissance
aircraft was operating in
sync with a British
destroyer during last
week’s Black Sea incid-
ent in what he described
as a “provocation” to test
Moscow’s response.
Moscow said one of its
warships fired warning
shots and a warplane dr-
opped bombs in the path
of British destroyer De-
fender on June 23 to force
it out of an area near the
Crimean Peninsula,
which Russia annexed in
2014. Britain denied that
account, insisted its ship
wasn’t fired upon and
said it was sailing in
Ukrainian waters. Asked
if the incident could have
triggered World War III,
Putin said that it was
hardly possible even if
Russia had sunk the
British warship because
Western powers knew
they couldn’t emerge as
winners in a global con-
flict. — AP
MYANMAR
FREES SCRIBES,
ACTIVISTS
Bangkok, June 30:
Myanmar’s government
began releasing about
2,300 prisoners on Wedn-
esday, including activists
who were detained for
protesting against the
military’s seizure of pow-
er in February and jou-
rnalists who reported on
the protests, officials said.
Buses took prisoners out
of Yangon’s Insein
Prison, where friends and
families of detainees had
waited since morning for
the announced releases. It
 GAMES
DECCAN CHRONICLE | COIMBATORE | THURSDAY | 1 JULY 2021
SHORT TAKES
Kane reclaims top
position in ranking
Dubai: New Zealand captain
Kane Williamson has reclaimed
the number one position in the
ICC Test Rankings for batsmen
after leading his side to the
World Test Championship title
in Southampton last week.The
30-year-old's knocks of 49 and
52 not out in the low-scoring
final against India helped him
move above the 900-point
mark and he now enjoys a 10-
point lead over Steve Smith
(891 rating points). India skip-
per Virat Kohli remains in fourth
position while Rohit Sharma has
moved up to the sixth spot.
India wicketkeeper batsman
Rishabh Pant is seventh.
Williamson, who conceded the
top spot to Smith two weeks
ago, is back in the position he
had first grabbed in November
2015 during a series against
Australia. — PTI
Shamsi gives SA
1-run win over WI
Grenada: Tabraiz Shamsi
enhanced his reputation as the
top T20 bowler in the interna-
tional game by inspiring South
Africa to a thrilling one-run vic-
tory over the West Indies in the
third of their five-match series
at the National Cricket Stadium
in Grenada on Tuesday.
Defending another moderate
total of 167 for eight after they
were put in to bat for the third
time in the series, the left-arm
wrist spinner bowled his most
economical four-over spell in
conceding just 13 runs for the
important wickets of Evin Lewis
and Shimron Hetmyer. — AFP
Brief scores: South Africa 167/8
(Quniton de Kock 72, Rassie
van der Dussen 32; Obed
McCoy 4/22, Dwayne Bravo
3/25) bt West Indies 166/7
(Evin Lewis 27, Nicholas Pooran
26, Andre Russell 25; Tabraiz
Shamsi 2/13, Anrich
Nortje 2/29).
SL trio dropped
from India series
Colombo: Three Sri Lankan
cricket players ordered to leave
the tour of England on discipli-
nary grounds will be dropped
from a home series against
India in July, officials said
on Wednesday. Dubbed the
“terrible trio” by media, vice
captain Kusal Mendis, opener
Danushka Gunathilaka and
wicket keeper Niroshan
Dickwella returned home on
Tuesday Sri Lanka Cricket offi-
cials said an inquiry into how
they left the team’s pandemic
isolated hotel in England would
start after their mandatory two-
week quarantine. None will be
included in the three ODIs and
three T20 games to start July
13. “They are likely to get a
minimum one-year suspension
if found guilty of several
breaches of their contract” an
official said. — AFP
India women all
out for 221 vs Eng
Taunton: India were all out for
221 against England in the sec-
ond women’s ODI here on
Wednesday. Captain Mithali Raj
top-scored with 59 off 92 balls
and stitched a 68-run partner-
ship for the fourth wicket with
Harmanpreet Kaur (19) to score
the bulk of the runs. Young
opener Shafali Verma con-
tributed 44 off 55 balls. For
England, pacer Kate Cross was
the most successful bowler with
impressive figures of 5/34.
— PTI
Brief Scores: India 221 (Mithali
Raj 59, Shafali Verma 44; Kate
Cross 5/34) vs England.
Messi’s Barca
future in doubt
Madrid: Lionel Messi’s contract
with Barcelona came to an end
on Wednesday with no news
from the player or the club
about his future. The expecta-
tion is that the 34-year-old
Messi, who is playing with
Argentina at the Copa America,
will stay at the Catalan club. He
reportedly had been close to
reaching a deal to extend his
contract for two more years.
Messi’s future has been a mys-
tery since he had his request to
leave the club denied at the
end of the 2019-20 season. He
ended up staying and said he
would reconsider his options
when this season was over. A
lot has changed since he
announced he wanted to leave
the club. — AP
Regd. No. TNENG/2010/35692
Printed & Published by K. Sudhakar on
behalf of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited
and Printed at Deccan Chronicle Press
situated at No 2/22, Sengalipalayam Road,
N.G.G.O Colony Post,
Kurudampalayam Village,
Coimbatore - 641 022. RNI
Registration No: TNENG/2010/35692
Ph No : 2231252,253,255,257 & 358
Editor: KAUSHIK MITTER
IN NICK OF TIME Ashwin,
Chhetri
in fray for Ratna
Kyrgios beats Humbert for first win in four months
London, June 30: Five-
time champion Novak
Djokovic overcame a
series of falls on Centre
Court to reach the
Wimbledon third round
for the 15th time on
Wednesday as Australian
firebrand Nick Kyrgios
won his first match in four
months.
World number one
Djokovic, chasing a sixth
Wimbledon and record-
equalling 20th Grand
Slam title, eased to a 6-3, 6-
3, 6-3 win over 102nd-
ranked Kevin Anderson of
South Africa.
However, he slipped and
fell on at least five occa-
sions on Centre Court, the
day after Serena Williams
suffered a tearful, tourna-
ment-ending injury due to
similar slips.
Djokovic, 34, cruised to
victory over the man he
defeated in the 2018 final
without facing a single
break point and commit-
ting just six unforced
errors.
“I have a nice connection
with the crowd,” said
Djokovic.
“I also seem to be having
a really nice connection
with the grass. I don’t
recall falling so much in
the first two matches at
Wimbledon.”
Kyrgios, ranked 60, but a
quarter-finalist on debut
in 2014, won his first
match since the
Australian Open in
February, defeating
French 21st seed Ugo
Humbert before declaring:
“Not bad for a part-time
player”.
Kyrgios triumphed 6-4, 4-
6, 3-6, 6-1, 9-7 in a match
held over from Tuesday
evening when the final set
was level at 3-3.
“Ugo is an incredible kid
and I knew I was a mas-
sive underdog,”
Kyrgios after firing 23
said
aces and 51 winners.
Kyrgios also shrugged
off an ugly-looking fall in
the 13th game of the final
set when his right knee
buckled beneath him. On
Tuesday, he was over-
heard muttering that
Court One was “a joke".
As the tournament
played catch-up after two
days hit by rain, recrimi-
nations continued over
the state of the All
England Club courts.
“The preparation of the
grass courts has been to
exactly the same meticu-
lous standard as in previ-
ous years,” the club said
in a statement.
— AFP
Ukraine spring Artem surprise
Sweden 1
(Emil Forsberg 43)
Ukraine 2
(Oleksandr Zinchenko 27,
Artem Dovbyk 120+1)
Glasgow, June 30: Artem
Dovbyk’s header in the
121st minute sent Ukraine
through to a Euro 2020
quarter-final clash with
England as they beat
Sweden 2-1 after extra
time in Glasgow on
Tuesday.
Ukraine squeezed
through to the last 16
despite taking just three
points in the group stage,
qualifying in part because
Sweden beat Poland to top
Group E ahead of Spain.
But Andriy
Shevchenko’s side were
determined to show they
deserved their place in the
knockout phase as
Oleksandr Zinchenko
fired them into an early
lead.
Emil Forsberg’s deflect-
ed strike brought Sweden
level before half-time and
the RB Leipzig midfielder
twice hit the woodwork in
the second half.
However, a red card for
Marcus Danielson nine
minutes into extra time
left Sweden hanging on
for penalties until Dovbyk
latched onto Zinchenko’s
inviting cross to spark
wild scenes of celebration
among the Ukrainian fans
Shevchenko said before
the game his side had
already achieved their
objective by making it
through the group. “With
this performance and
commitment, our team
has deserved the love of
the whole country,” said
Shevchenko. — AFP
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios plays a shot against Ugo Humbert of France during the first round match of the
Wimbledon Championships in London on Wednesday.
RESULTS
Men’s singles second round:
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt
Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-3,
6-3, 6-3. Denis Shapovalov
(CAN x10) bt Pablo Andjar
(ESP) — walkover. First
round: Yoshihito Nishioka
(JPN) bt John Isner (USA
x28) 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-3, 6-7
(3/7), 6-4; Kei Nishikori
(JPN) bt Alexei Popyrin
(AUS) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; Gianluca
Mager (ITA) bt Juan Ignacio
Londero (ARG) 7-6 (7/3), 6-
0, 4-6, 6-3; Sam Querrey
(USA) bt Pablo Carreo-Busta
(ESP x11) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 7-5
Women’s singles first round:
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) bt
Olga Govortsova (BLR) 6-4,
6-2. Katerina Siniakova
(CZE) bt Wang Yafan (CHN)
6-1, 6-0. Anastasija
Sevastova (LAT) bt Zarina
Diyas (KAZ) 6-4, 6-1.
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt
Samantha Murray (GBR) 6-3,
6-3. Alize Cornet (FRA) bt
Bianca Andreescu (CAN x5)
6-2, 6-1; Elina Svitolina (UKR
x3) bt Alison Van Uytvanck
(BEL) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3;
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT)
bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 6-4, 6-
1; Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) bt
Greet Minnen (BEL) 6-2, 7-6
(7/5); Magda Linette (POL)
bt Amanda Anisimova (USA)
2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Yulia Putintseva
(KAZ) bt Tsvetana Pironkova
(BUL) 6-3, 6-1.
Artem Dovbyk of Ukraine (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring the winner against Sweden in the Euro
Round of 16 match in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Loew leaves Germany high & dry
London, June 30:
Joachim Loew walks away
after 15 years in charge of
Germany leaving a misfir-
ing side short of confi-
dence and his successor
Hansi Flick already under
pressure to turn things
around before next year’s
World Cup.
The Germans bowed out
of Euro 2020 after a disap-
pointing display in the 2-0
last 16 defeat to England
on Tuesday at Wembley,
which was Loew’s 198th
and final game in charge.
His record of 124 wins, 40
draws and 34 defeats since
2006 is impressive.
Yet the figures mask the
reality of tears in the
German dressing room at
Injured & out Serena
breaks down in tears
London, June 30:
American legend Serena
Williams’s dreams of win-
ning an eighth Wimbledon
singles title and equalling
Margaret Court’s Grand
Slam record of 24 ended in
tears on Tuesday as fur-
ther doubt was cast on her
future in the sport.
The 39-year-old was lead-
ing 3-1 in the first set of
her first round match
against Aliaksandra
Sasnovich of Belarus
when she slipped and
injured her right leg.
Williams returned from
receiving medical atten-
tion but called it a day at 3-
3 and walked off Centre
Court in tears.
“I was heartbroken to
have to withdraw today
after injuring my right
leg,” she said in a state-
ment posted late evening
on her Instagram account.
Perhaps tellingly, she
waved to all four sides of
the court as she left.
However, she gave no
EURO QUARTERFINALS
July 2 Switzerland vs Spain in St Petersburg
July 3 Belgium vs Italy in Munich
Czech Republic vs Denmark in Baku
July 4 England vs Ukraine in Rome
Wembley following the lat-
est painful defeat as, once
again, Germany struggled
to finish their chances.
Loew had the high of
winning the 2014 World
Cup, including the
remarkable 7-1 thrashing
of hosts Brazil in the
semi-finals, but his tenure
was tarnished by the low
of finishing bottom of the
group four years later in
Russia, which still haunts
the Germans.
Serena Williams
indication in the state-
ment of how serious the
injury was nor about her
future.
It is the first time that
Williams has bowed out in
the opening round of
Wimbledon in 20 appear-
ances.
She had only once previ-
ously lost in the first
round at any Slam, in the
2012 French Open.
The tears said it all as
with the withdrawals of
9.30 pm
12.30 am
9.30 pm
12.30 am
“In these 15 years, there
were a lot of things that
were very positive,” Loew
insisted at Wembley.
“We have developed
steadily, the World Cup
title in 2014, the
Confederation Cup victo-
ry in 2017 with a young
team. There have been
moments that are unfor-
gettable,” added the 61-
year-old.
Yet Loew admitted his
team had experienced
—AP
2019 champion Simona
Halep and of Naomi
Osaka prior to the tourna-
ment the American would
have fancied her chances
of at last equalling the
controversial
landmark.
Court’s
Serena’s heart-stopping
fall came not long after
French player Adrian
Mannarino had slipped
and hurt himself on the
same part of Centre
Court. He too had to retire
with his match against
Roger Federer level at two
sets apiece.
“I do feel it feels a tad
more slippery maybe
under the roof,” said
Federer.
“You do have to move
very, very carefully out
there. If you push too
hard in the wrong
moments, you do go down.
“I do feel it’s drier dur-
ing the day. With the wind
and all that stuff, it takes
the moisture out of the
grass,” he added. — AFP
— AP
“some problems since
2018” and that there had
been “a lot of difficult
periods” like the unforget-
table 6-0 thrashing by
Spain last November,
which sparked his deci-
sion to step down.
When Thomas Mueller
wasted a golden opportu-
nity to equalise at
Wembley with the goal at
his mercy, it was typical of
Germany’s recent strug-
gles in the final third.
A 4-2 thrashing of
Portugal in the group
stages only papered over
the cracks running
through a team which can
dominate possession, yet
struggle to use it.
— AFP
pg 8
NATIONAL | SPORTS AWARDS
New Delhi, June 30: The
BCCI has decided to rec-
ommend women’s cricket
great Mithali Raj and pre-
mier spinner R. Ashwin
for Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna, country’s highest
sporting honour.
For Arjuna Award, the
Board will send the names
of senior batsman Shikhar
Dhawan, who was ignored
last year, KL Rahul and
pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
“No women cricketer has
been nominated for R. Ashwin
Arjuna. Mithali’s name
has been recommended for
Khel Ratna,” a BCCI offi- IN RACE FOR
cial said on Wednesday. KHEL RATNA
Talismanic India captain
Sunil Chhetri has been rec- Mithali Raj (cricket)
ommended for this year’s
Khel Ratna by the All India
Football Federation.
R. Ashwin (cricket)
Sunil Chhetri (football)
National women’s foot-
ball team striker Bala
Neeraj Chopra (athletics)
Devi, who is currently Ankur Mittal (shooting)
playing for Rangers in the Anjum Moudgil (shooting)
Scottish Women’s Premier Sharath Kamal (TT)
League, has been recom-
mended for the coveted Shubhankar Sharma (golf)
Arjuna Award.
“We have recommended
Sunil Chhetri for the Khel government.
Ratna and Bala Devi for “Neeraj has been recom-
Arjuna Award,” an official mended by the awards
source said on condition of committee for the Khel
anonymity. Ratna this year,” an official
“We have also recom- source said.
mended Gabriel Joseph for Double Trap world cham-
Dronacharya Award,” the pion Ankur Mittal and
source added. Olympic-bound rifle shoot-
Olympic-bound star er Anjum Moudgil were
javelin thrower Neeraj recommended for Khel
Chopra has been recom- Ratna award by the
mended for the Khel Ratna National Rifles
award by the Athletics Association of India
Federation of India (AFI). (NRAI).
The 23-year-old Chopra’s India’s finest table tennis
nomination came after player Sharath Kamal has
sprinter Dutee Chand was also been recommended
recommended for the same by the sport’s governing
top award by the Odisha body TTFI. — PTI
Olympic briefs
Swimmer Srihari qualifies
Ithendian swimmer Srihari Nataraj officially booked
himself a Tokyo Olympics berth on Wednesday after
sport’s world governing body Fina approved his ‘A’
standard qualification time in the men’s 100m back-
stroke time trial at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome.
“Srihari Nataraj Olympic qualification time of 53.77
swam in the time trial at the Sette Colli Trophy is
affirmed by Fina. SFI had put forward its representa-
tion to Fina for this. Srihari joins Sajan Prakash as
India’s A qualification entry to Tokyo,” the Swimming
Federation of India tweeted.
Rohan-Divij miss the cut
ISharan
n a setback to India’s medal chances in the tennis
event of Tokyo Olympics, Rohan Bopanna and Divij
have missed the cut for men’s doubles, which
also rules out the country’s presence in the mixed
team competition, its best chance for a podium finish.
It was expected that with a low combined ranking of
113, Bopanna (38) and left-handed Sharan’s (75) entry
would depend only on large scale withdrawals. “The
ITF has confirmed that Bopanna and Divij could not
be entered as a team in the men’s doubles team.
However, things might change till July 16 (if there are
more withdrawals),” an AITA source said.
Nattu doubtful
for TNPL 2021
DC CORRESPONDENT Natarajan) or not because
CHENNAI, JUNE 30 he is still recovering from
his injury, so we needed
Tamil Nadu Cricket similar replacements.
Association is planning to Srinivasan and two other
start the 2021 edition of fast bowlers we picked are.
TNPL by end of July, sub- The other player whom we
ject to the clearance from picked is a mystery spin-
Tamil Nadu government. ner Anand,” said
“It has been a difficult
period for everybody but
Shahrukh.
we are hopeful of putting
all that behind us and start
DRAFTED PLAYERS
Chepauk Super Gillies:
the tournament under Sandeep Warrier, Nilesh
strict Covid guidelines, Subramanian R,
subject to Government Radhakrishnan S.
SOP,” said TNCA secretary Kovai Kings: Srinivasan E,
RS Ramasaamy. Kiran Kaashyap K,
Meanwhile, defending Anandakumar S,
champions Chepauk Super Yudheeshwaran V.
Gillies headlined
Wednesday’s draft by pick-
ing Sandeep Warrier. The
fast bowler, who moved
from Kerala to Tamil Nadu
Tiruppur Tamizhans:
Mohammed Ashik, Affan
Khader, Adithya Giridhar,
Sathiyanarayanan
Natarajan ST, Raajkumar
L,
this season, will add more R I, Ashwin Balaji.
teeth to the CSG pace Dindigul Dragons:
attack. Gurjapneet Singh, Vimal
“Very happy with the Khumar R, Kishan Kumar,
team structure and we are Vigneshwaran S.
pleased to have roped in a Madurai Panthers: P
couple of experienced Sugendhiran, K Rajkumar,
players to our squad today. B Rocky, P Saravanan,
From here it is all about J h a t h a v e d h
getting the group together Subramanyan.
and creating an environ- Trichy Warriors: Sunil
ment for them to replicate Sam, Mathivannan M,
the success we had in Karthik R.
2019,” said Hemang Royal Kings: Sri Neranjan
Badani, coach of Chepauk R, Veeramani T, Sarathraj
Super Gillies A, Suresh C, Vivek R, Rohit
Kovai Kings captain Ram R, Sarath Kumar M.
Shahrukh Khan said T. Salem Spartans:
Natarajan’s participation Karthikeyan R, Kishoor G,
in TNPL is doubtful. “Till Aarif A, R Karthikeyan, M
now we don’t know Suganesh, Abhinav
whether we have Nattu (T Vishnu, AVR Rathnam.