CMYK THURSDAY 08 JUNE 2023 www.thestatesman.com twitter.com/thestatesman facebook.com/thestatesman INDIA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00|LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR AKHILESH EXTENDS SUPPORT TO KEJRIWAL SHOO-IN? P6 SENSEX 63,142.96 +350.08 WEATHER Humid and discomfort weather very likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 36 °C and 27 °C respectively. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90 % TEMPERATURE P4 NIFTY 18,726.40 +127.40 Max: 38.7 °C (+3) Min: 30.6 °C (+3) SUN RISES SUN SETS 04:52 hrs 18:19 hrs MOON RISES MOON SETS 21:50 hrs 07:46 hrs New Moon on 18 June THUMBNAILS Fishermen throw a net to catch fish in the river Yamuna, in New Delhi on Wednesday.  ANI CBI launches massive raids in Bengal: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) kicked off a fullfledged investigation into the multi-crore municipalities recruitment scam in West Bengal by conducting simultaneous search operations in (Pg 3) different pockets of the state. World Test Championship: An unbeaten 251run partnership from Steve Smith (95*) and Travis Head (146*) propelled Australia to 327/3 in 85 overs at stumps on the first day of the World Test Championship final against (Earlier report on Pg 12) India at The Oval. ` vs $ 82.53 +8 PAISE GOLD 61,845.00 +15 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE he protesting wrestlers on Wednesday decided to suspend their ongoing protest in the National Capital against the Wrestling Federation of India ( WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing accusations of sexually harassing some women grapplers till 15 June after the Government assured them that the probe will be completed by that date and chargesheets will be submitted. However, the wrestlers also asserted that the 'movement' against the WFI chief will continue. The decision was taken in a marathon meeting which was held between the protesting wrestlers (Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik) and Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur which was held at the latter's residence here on Wednesday. Mr Thakur assured the protesting wrestlers that the ongoing probe against Wrestling Federation of India ( WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will be completed by 15 June T The protesting wrestlers went to meet with Cabinet Minister, Anurag Singh Thakur at his residence, in New Delhi on Wednesday. SUBRATA DUTTA and a charge sheet will be submitted. Briefing mediapersons at his residence after the meeting, Mr Thakur said: “I had a long 6-hour discussion with the wrestlers. We assured them that the probe will be completed by June 15 and a chargesheet will be submitted. The next election for WFI president will be conducted by June 30.” Mr Thakur said: “An Internal Complaint Committee of the wrestling federation will be constituted. It will be headed by a woman. We have demanded that all FIRs filed against wrestlers be withdrawn. They also requested that Brij Bhushan Singh, who has completed 3 terms (as WFI chief), and his associates be asked not to stand for the elections again. The wrestlers promised not to hold any fresh protests before June 15.” On 28 May, the wrestlers had planned a march and protest in front of the new Parliament, despite the imposition of Section 144 in the area. They were detained on their way by Delhi police and FIR was filed against them under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE over their cost of production are estimated to be highest in case of bajra (82 per cent) followed by tur (58 per cent), soybean (52 per cent) and urad (51 per cent). For the rest of the crops, the margin to farmers over their cost of production is estimated to be at least 50 per cent. Some of the revisions are: paddy (common) per quintal up from Rs 2,040 in 2022-23 to Rs 2,183 in 2023-24; paddy Grade A up from Rs 2,060 to Rs 2,203 per quintal; urad up from Rs 6,600 to Rs 6,950 per quintal; Cotton (medium staple) up from Rs 6,080 to Rs 6,620 and cotton (long staple) up from Rs 6,380 to Rs 7,020. In recent years, the Government has been promoting cultivation of crops other than cereals, such as pulses, oilseeds, and Nutri-cereals/Shree Anna, by offering a higher MSP for these crops. Additionally, the government has launched various schemes and initiatives, such as the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) to encourage farmers to diversify their crops. Mr Goyal said in the last four years, there has been 25 per cent increase in pulses production and in 30 per cent in oilseeds. To help farmers, power supply is being given all 24 hours and irrigation coverage has been increased. The Food and Public Distribution Minister said till 2014, 10 to 12 per cent infla- P12 SILVER 72,366 Wrestlers suspend protest till 15 June 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act. The protest site was also cleared by the Delhi Police. Talking to mediapersons after meeting the Union Sports Minister on Wednesday, wrestler Bajrang Punia said the Government assured that the police probe against the WFI chief will be completed before 15 June. “The government has assured us that the police investigation will be completed before June 15. We requested that all FIRs against wrestlers be taken back and he ( Thakur) agreed to it. If no action is taken by 15 June, we will launch fresh protests," Punia said after the meeting. "The government has asked for time till 15 June for the police investigation to complete. It has agreed on most of our proposals related to wrestling. Now, we will place these proposals before the farmers' unions, women's unions, our seniors and khap panchayats. So, we won't have any protest till 15 June but our 'movement' against the WFI chief will continue,” Sakshi told a news agency. tion rate was normal, but it has come to less than half in the last nine years, and is 4.50 per cent now. While the MSP is going up, general prices are kept under control. That gives more cash in the hands of the farmers, thanks to government policies, Mr Goyal said. Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, free foodgrains are given to 80 crore people, i.e. around 1617 crore families, and this has helped the poor, Mr Goyal said. The Government spent over Rs 2 lakh crore every year on this, while during the Covid crisis alone Rs 4 lakh crore were spent on free foodgrains for the poor. Mr Goyal said there were problems like increase in international fertilisers prices but the Prime Minister ensured the farmers did not suffer and domestic prices were maintained. Similar help was given in the case of seeds also. This has shown results in food production figures. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE LUCKNOW, 7 JUNE Sanjeev Maheshwari alias Jeeva, a sharp-shooter owing allegiance to jailed gangster-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari, was killed in a daring shooting inside the civil court premises in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow on Wednesday, the incident coming nearly two months after the murders of mafia don Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody in Prayagraj. The shooters came dressed as lawyers and started firing indiscriminately at Jeeva just outside the SC/ST court, where he had been brought under police escort for a hearing. Four people including an infant girl, her mother along with 2 policemen were injured. But all were out of danger. Joint CP Upendra Agarwal confirmed the death of Jeeva and the arrest of one of the assailant, but he refused to divulge anything more. Jeeva, who was serving a life term in a murder case, was under police custody when around 4 assailants attacked him inside the SC/ ST court of ADJ Narendra Kumar. While in the Atiq murder case, the three assailants posed as media persons and in this crime, they came dressed as lawyers. As per reports, the Bloodstains are spotted inside the Lucknow Civil Court where gangster Sanjeev Jeeva, an accused in the murder of BJP leader Brahm Dutt Dwivedi, was shot dead, in Lucknow on Wednesday.  ANI assailants opened fire at Jeeva from the back inside the SC/ ST court as Jeeva was entering the room. Jeeva was hit by at least five bullets. One of the assailants, identified as Vijay Yadav of Jaunpur was caught by the lawyers present at the court and badly thrashed. Jeeva was brought from Lucknow jail at around 8 a.m. hours by a team of10 policemen, including two sub inspectors, and they were waiting outside the court room. When Jeeva's name was called at around 3.55 p.m, they entered the room, at which time the assailants opened fire. Jeeva was currently lodged in Lucknow jail serving a life term in the murder of BJP leader Brahma Dutt Dwivedi on 10 February 1997. Recently his illegal property worth several crores of SNS & AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE Meteorological conditions are becoming favourable for the onset of the monsoon over Kerala during the next 48 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement on Wednesday. IMD had in May predicted arrival of monsoon on 4 June. The Southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on 1 June with a standard deviation of about seven days. The conditions are also favourable for further advance of monsoon into some more parts of South Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep, some more parts of South-west, Central and North-east Bay of Bengal and some parts of North-eastern states during the next 48 hours, the IMD said. The monsoon is crucial specially for kharif crops dependent on rains. India Fishermen community remove their Ships from the sea shore as IMD issues alert against Biparjoy which is expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm, in Mumbai on Wednesday. ANI has three cropping seasons ~ summer, kharif and rabi. Crops sown during JuneJuly and harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January-March depending on maturity are Rabi. Crops produced between rabi and kharif are summer crops. Meanwhile, severe cyclonic storm 'Biparjoy' currently centred over east-central and adjoining south-east Arabian Sea around Goa is likely to intensify into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ during the next 12 hours. "It is very likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. It would move nearly northwards during next 24 hours and then north-northwestwards during subsequent three days," the IMD said. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ today sought to allay concerns of his political rivals in the Himalayan nation over the ‘Akhand Bharat Map’ placed in the new Parliament building by India.Amid criticism by the Opposition, ‘Prachanda’, addressing Nepal’s National Assembly, said the map was not political and he had raised the issue during his just-concluded India visit. Opposition parties in Nepal have strongly objected to the map claiming it shows Nepal as part of the ancient Indian landmass and asked the ‘Prachanda’ government to raise the matter with New Delhi. The Opposition has also termed the PM's visit to India as unsuccessful and non-productive while ‘Prachanda’ has been claiming otherwise. Mr Dahal said: “We raised the issue of the new Indian map which is placed in Parliament. We have not made a detailed study but as reported in the media, we raised this issue on a serious note. But in its response, the Indian side said that it was a cultural and historic map and not a political one. This should not be seen as a political way. It needs to be studied. But I have raised it.” Citing the suggestions from experts, he had said BHUBANESWAR, 7 JUNE Forty-five-year-old Manoj Srivastav and his five-day ordeal in quest of his near and dear ones missing since Friday’s horrific train accident in Balasore district sums up the prevailing human misery, and gloom in the aftermath of one of the deadliest rail crashes that the country has seen. The man rushed all the way from Samastipur in Bihar to Balasore on Saturday to ascertain whether six from his native village including his younger brother are alive or dead. He visited all the hospitals, including AIIMSBhubaneswar, during the course of his 96-hour-long agonising tribulation. His quest has finally paid dividends with one of the missing being traced in the cold mortuary of the premiere Passengers throng to travel in the Coromondal Express Train after the tracks of Bahanaga Bazar station were repaired following a train accident in Balasore, in Howrah on Wednesday. ANI hospital. But there is no trace of five others, including his brother, either in the hospital or the mortuary. Five days after the mishap, there is no end to the human misery as AIIMS hospital grappling with the ardous task of storing the unidentified and unclaimed dead bodies con- CMYK Another rail mishap: Six daily-wagers run over by goods rakes in Odisha STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Human misery, gloom prevail as distraught relatives’ unending quest for missing continues that Nepal and India could swap land like what India and Bangladesh did in a land swapping agreement reached in 2015.There are boundary disputes in Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura areas, which are currently part of Indian territory. But the Nepali side has been claiming them as its territory since long. In response to Indian claims, the Nepal government in 2020 issued a new political map incorporating Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura as its part of territory. “From the 1950s’ peace and friendship treaty to the boundary row, during my visit to India, we discussed several issues that matter to us. We want to resolve these disputes and differences through talks and diplomatic means and for that we need trust,” ‘Prachanda’ added. rupees was also attached by the Muzaffarnagar administration. Jeeva was also reported to be involved in the murder of another BJP leader Krishnand Rai in 2005, but had been acquitted in that case. A native of Muzaffarnagar, there were around 24 criminal cases against him including murders and kidnappings. In 2021, Jeeva's wife Payal wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India saying that her husband’s life was in danger. Payal had written that her husband could be killed during a court hearing. She had requested the CJI to direct higher authorities to protect her husband.Payal had also contested the Assembly elections in 2017 on an RLD ticket but lost. Meanwhile, lawyers staged protest over the incident and even heckled media persons. The contractual labourers engaged for railway line work were taking shelter under the stabled rakes amidst sudden wind and rains Prachanda ‘plays down’ concerns over Akhand Bharat Map in India’s new Parl NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.94 Mukhtar Ansari aide shot dead in Lucknow court by ‘lawyer’ IMD: Conditions favourable for monsoon onset in next 48 hours Cabinet approves big increase in Kharif crops MSP for 23-24 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved a substantial increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24. Announcing this, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal said the Prime Minister had decided that the MSP should be one and a half times the cost of production, and this year the MSP prices have been given perhaps the highest increase in many years. The MSP, based on Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommendations, will ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce and encourage crop diversification, he said. The minister said the expected margins to farmers P9 Say 'movement' against Brij Bhusan Sharan Singh will continue Min. 39 % ‘ENGLAND HAS LOVE AFFAIR WITH ASHES CRICKET’ SUNAK GOES TO US WITH UKRAINE, ECONOMY ON AGENDA FOR MEET tinues to depict the emotionjerking scene of disconsolate people breaking down. Describing the worst nightmare of his life, Srivastav said: “I visited everywhere right from the accident site to all the hospitals. At AIIMS hospital, I managed to identify one of the missing persons from my village. My younger brother could neither be found at hospitals nor at the mortuary at the AIIMS. A DNA sample was collected from me so that the samples may match with bodies stored here.” “The bodies stored here are badly maimed and dismembered. They are impossible to recognize. More than the search at the hospitals, searching the bodies at the mortuary was nightmarish and frightening. I pray to God such misfortune does not befall on anyone. There is faint hope of my brother surviving the deadly rail crash. Only a miracle could save him,” he conceded with tears welling up in his eyes. The Centre-run hospital is besieged with an assembly of distraught and devastated people who are making last ditch effort to find their loved ones-dead or alive. JAJPUR, 7 JUNE At least six persons, all labourers were killed and two others injured critically as several good wagons without an engine ran them over at Jajpur Keonjhar Road railway station in Jajpur district on Wednesday. The railways confirmed the death of six persons and said two others were injured. Some contractual labourers engaged for railway line work were taking shelter under the stabled rakes due to sudden wind and rains. A monsoon reserve rake without engine rolled due to the storm, killing six persons, said the railway officers. The incident occurred at about 5.15 pm when the labourers had taken shelter under the stationary goods wagons as it rained in torrents due to Nor’wester impact. The wagons started moving and the workers were crushed under it. “As many as eight labourers who used to work in railways on daily wages basis were under the empty wagons, there was no engine, the wagons started moving suddenly due to the strong wind and rain” said Bidyadhar Mohanty, a local who was close to the spot. The injured was rushed to the local hospital and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. DRM Khurda division and other senior railway officers rushed to the spot. The Jajpur district collector and SP were also at the spot. The mishap occurred close on the heels of the horrific triple-train mishap near Bahanaga Bazar railway station that claimed 288 human lives.