FRIDAY 03 NOVEMBER 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 CONGRESS NOT KEEN ON INDIA BLOC, SAYS NITISH KUMAR ‘INFIGHTING HAS WORSENED IN K’TAKA CONGRESS’ P5 SENSEX 64,080.90489.57 WEATHER Partly cloudy sky very likely. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 33 °C and 26 °C respectively. RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 94 % Min. 25 % Max: 32.4°C (+1) SUN RISES 05:42 hrs MOON RISES 20:43 hrs Min: 24.1°C (+2) SUN SETS 16:60 hrs MOON SETS 09:60 hrs TEMPERATURE New Moon on 13 November THUMBNAILS Akshardham temple is covered in a thick layer of smog as Delhi's air quality remains 'very poor' for fifth straight day, in New Delhi on Thursday. ANI Ban on construction work in Delhi-NCR, N schools advised to go online: As the air quality in the national capital fell into the "severe" category, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Thursday issued directions to ban construction activities in the entire National Capital Region except for essential government projects and also urged the state government in the NCR and GNCTD to contemplate discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V and conducting classes in an online mode. NIFTY 19,133.25144.10 INDIA CAN BECOME GLOBAL MANUFACTURING HUB SOON: RAJNATH P4 ` vs $ 83.199 PAISE P8 GOLD 61,640110 Mamata slams Centre’s ‘disinformation’ drive REETIKA READY FOR BIGGER CHALLENGES AFTER NAT’L GAMES P12 SILVER 74,800700 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 87.42 India destroy Sri Lanka, storm into semi-finals Says misinformation is being spread to befool people & malign state govt MUMBAI, 2 NOVEMBER STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 2 NOVEMBER Mohammed Shami was on fire with a five-wicket haul as India decimated Sri Lanka to enter the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Thursday. It was an absolute masterclass from the Indian pacers. Jasprit Bumrah set the tone with a firstball wicket before Mohammed Siraj picked up three. Mohammed Shami, who followed, claimed a five-wicket haul (5 for 18 in 5 overs) as Sri Lanka were dismissed for a grand total of 55 runs. With the win, India also reclaimed the top spot in the Cricket World Cup 2023 points table and became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals. Earlier, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer struck superb halfcenturies to help India post 357/8 against Sri Lanka, despite a fifer for left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka (5-80), in Match 33 of the ICC Men's ODIWorld Cup 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. SNS (Match report on pg 12) est Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the “disinformation campaign” run by the Centre regarding the release of MGNREGA funds and accused the BJP-led dispensation of not releasing the withheld funds to the state. In a post on X, she said, “I detect a deliberate disinformation campaign regarding Central release of funds in MGNREGA. Despite our vigorous movements and submission of detailed factual records and accounts, the Centre has been dragging its feet and has not released any withheld fund whatsoever at all.” She claimed that misinformation is being spread to befool the people and malign the state government. “The misinformation is being spread to befool people and to spread confusion, and to malign the State Government. We need, deserve, W I detect a deliberate disinformation campaign regarding Central release of funds in MGNREGA. Despite our vigorous movements and submission of detailed factual records and accounts, the Centre has been dragging its feet and has not released any withheld fund whatsoever at all MAMATA BANERJEE BENGAL CHIEF MINISTER and are entitled to our rightful share. We continue to be unfairly deprived, despite leaking of false information here and there,” she added. Miss Banerjee on Wednesday warned the Union government of a fresh agitation if the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) funds for West Bengal were not released in 15 days. She said her party leaders and supporters will meet on 16 November to decide the next course of action. Hundreds of Trinamul Congress (TMC) leaders, supporters and MGNREGA job card holders held a mega rally in Delhi last CMYK month over the alleged delay in the release of MGNREGA funds to the state government. On 5 October, TMC leaders led by Miss Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee sat on a dharna outside Raj Bhavan in Kolkata. However, they called off the stir after Governor C V Ananda Bose assured them that he would raise the issue with the Centre within 24 hours. Later, the Governor said he intimated Miss Banerjee of the positive response he received from a central minister, who had directed the authorities concerned to take necessary action. “The first authority in Bengal to know about the result of my letter to the Government of India, is my constitutional colleague, the chief minister. I have intimated (to) her the positive response which I received from the (central) minister. He has issued instructions to those concerned to take necessary action in the matter,” Mr Bose said on the sidelines of an event in Kolkata. Mahua Moitra storms out of Lok Sabha ethics panel meeting STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 2 NOVEMBER Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday barged out of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee meeting along with some opposition members as she alleged that she was asked “objectionable” questions over the ‘Cash-for-Query’ charges against her. Coming out of the committee meeting, Ms Moitra expressed anger over the questions asked at the meeting. A committee member, Mr Danish Ali (BSP), who had also walked out, said she was asked personal questions, and this was not proper. On the other hand, the Chairman of the Ethics Committee Vinod Sonkar said: “Instead of giving answers, she (Ms Moitra) got angry and used unparliamentary language for the Chairperson, and Committee members. Mr Ali, Mr GirdhariYadav and other Opposition MPs tried to accuse the committee and walked out.”