SUNDAY www.thestatesman.com 14 FEBRUARY 2021 FIND US ONLINE Scan this with your smartphone twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd facebook.com/thestatesman1875 Pages 12 | `5.00 |LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR TRUMP ACQUITTAL EXPECTED IN SENATE VOTE MYANMAR PROTESTS ENTER SECOND WEEK P10 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky and fog/mist in the morning. Temperature most likely to be in the range of 30-18 degrees Celsius. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 99% TEMPERATURE Min. 36 % Max: 30.4°C (2) Min: 17.7°C (N) SUN RISES SUN SETS 06:09 hrs 17:32 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 07:18 hrs 19:00 hrs Next moon quarter on 20 February THUMBNAILS A health worker being vaccinated against Covid-19 as the second phase of vaccination is launched across the country. At Max Hospital in the Capital on Saturday. SNS SC refuses to review Shaheen Bagh order: The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere, the Supreme Court said as it dismissed a plea seeking review of its verdict passed last year in which it had held the occupation of public ways during the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi was not acceptable. The top court said there may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged protest, there cannot be continued occupation of public places. MEDVEDEV ADVANCES INTIMATE SELECTIONS P11 P6 P12 FM: Rahul becoming ‘Statehood for J-K doomsday man for India at appropriate time’ Home minister says development in the Union territory top priority SNS & PTI NEW DELHI, 13 FEBRUARY Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in the Lok Sabha on Saturday that the government has done more for Jammu and Kashmir since Article 370 was scrapped in August 2019 than those who ruled it for generations, even as he assured that the Centre will grant full statehood to the union territory at an appropriate time. Replying to a discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, he also slammed some Opposition members for their claim that the proposed law negates the hopes of the region getting back its erstwhile statehood. The Bill to merge the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) cadre of all-India services officers with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre was later passed by Lok Sabha by a voice vote. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has already been passed by Rajya Sabha. It replaces an ordinance issued last month. This legislation, The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has nothing to do with statehood, and Jammu and Kashmir will be accorded the status at an appropriate time AMIT SHAH HOME MINISTER This legislation has nothing to do with statehood, and Jammu and Kashmir will be accorded the status at an appropriate time, Shah said. He took a swipe at the Congress and other parties ~ which had backed Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir ~ saying this was a temporary provision but they continued with it for over 70 years before the Modi government annulled it. Jammu and Kashmir has been a top priority for the current government since it took power in 2014, he said.Responding to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Shah said Opposition parties were free to visit the region. Chowdhury had claimed that foreign delegations were being taken to the region, no all-party delegation was sent. The home minister also gave the assurance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that “no one will lose their land”. The government has sufficient land for development works, Shah said. Decentralisation and devolution of power have taken place in the union territory following the revocation of Article 370, Shah said, noting that panchayat elections saw over 51 per cent voting. Panchayats have been given administrative and financial powers for local development, something PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI, 13 FEBRUARY they lacked earlier, he added. Now people chosen by the masses will rule Jammu and Kashmir, not those born to “kings and queens”, he said, attacking dynastic parties in the region. Even our rivals could not allege any wrongdoing in these polls which were conducted fairly and peacefully, he said. Attacking the Opposition, he said while they were seeking a report card from the government about the development of Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, “have you brought a report card of what you have done in the last 70 years”. DEHRADUN, 13 FEBRUARY 1st phase of Budget session concludes: The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Saturday, ending the first phase of the Budget session which reported close to 100 per cent productivity and witnessed 13 privilege notices filed by MPs. The House will reconvene on 8 March after recess. The first phase of the Budget session started on 29 January with President’s address to joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. The lake which has formed in the upstream of Rishiganaga in the flashflood hit area in district Chamoli, is maintaining smooth discharge and there is no immediate threat from the water body. A team of the State Disaster Relief Force and National Disaster Relief Force reached the lake site today and provided a ground report to the state government. Navneet Bhullar, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying he is becoming a “doomsday man” for India by constantly insulting constitutional functionaries and creating fake narratives on various issues. Replying to the general discussion on Budget in Lok Sabha, she said the former Congress chief was creating fake narratives but does not have patience to listen to replies on allegations levelled against the government. “We need to recognise these two tendencies of the Congress party. One is creating fake narratives and second, lack of belief in a democratically elected Parliamentary system. “In banks, you did phone banking and left huge NPAs. This is one tendency, cre- No immediate threat from temporary lake; rescue efforts continue Commandant of the SDRF, said, “The discharge of the water is smooth. Debris has created a field of about 500700 metres on the front part of the lake. The ground, formed by ice, debris and boulder, is smooth. The water flowing downstream is clear.” Meanwhile, rescue teams began boring a wider hole into the tunnel at the Tapovan hydel project in a bid to reach the around 35 people SNS trapped inside. ate institutions and use them for ‘Hum Do Hamare Do’ and at the end of the day keep accusing others,” she said. ‘Hum Do Hamare Do’expression was used by Gandhi in his speech on Thursday, during the general debate on the Budget, referring to the fact that only four persons are ruling this country including two business houses. Retorting to this, Sitharaman said this expression fits the Gandhi family. See Page 8 1,08,92,746 1,36,571 12,143 11,395 1,55,550 UNION HEALTH MINISTRY FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M. SATURDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2021
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