BIRDS OF A FEATHER 23 FEBRUARY 2025 AN EXHIBITION ON BONDED LABOURERS PONTING HAILS SHUBMAN GILL’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST BANGLADESH www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 PAGE 12 SINCE 1818 PAGES 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR WEATHER Generally cloudy sky. Rain / thundershower with gusty wind very likely to occur. RAINFALL: 0.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 94% ED lens on USAID ‘conduits’ in India Eight trapped in collapsed tunnel in Telangana USAID allowed in India in good faith, allegations concerning, says EAM Min. 55% TEMPERATURE Max: 28.3˚C (-2.2) SUN RISES 06:04 hrs MOON RISES 01:14 hrs USAID row: Congress slams BJP, demandsWhite Paper Min: 20.6˚C (+1.1) SUN SETS 17:37 hrs MOON SETS 11:54 hrs STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Moon on 28 February NEW DELHI, 22 FEBRUARY THUMBNAILS AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 22 FEBRUARY T Kanvariyas (devotees of Lord Shiv) return after collecting Ganga water ahead of Maha Shivratri at 'Har ki Pauri' in Haridwar on Saturday. n ANI Union Minister complains about Air India's services: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday expressed his ire on social media for being allotted a defective and broken seat in his Air India flight from Bhopal to New Delhi, prompting the Air India management to issue an apology on the matter. houhan wrote on social media that the seat was broken and it sank in when he sat. He said that he brought the matter to the notice of the flight's cabin crew, who said they had already apprised the airline management about the problem, requesting them to not allot the seat to any passenger. he Directorate of Enforcement, along with other security and financial agencies, has initiated preliminary steps to identify Indian entities and individuals who served as conduits for receiving the purported USAID’s $21 million to influence voter turnout in the country, official sources said on Saturday. NGOs, social workers, media outlets and business entities are believed to be under the ED lens for violation of money laundering regulations, said sources. External affairs minister S Jaishankar, meanwhile, described the allegations as “concerning and worrisome.” “Some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning... I think, as a government, we're looking into it. My sense is that the facts will come out...USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities; now, suggestions are being laid out from America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It's worrisome,” said Mr Jaishankar. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Saturday again questioned the Biden administration’s purported decision to give $21 million to India for ‘voter turnout’. Speaking to US governors, Mr Trump said: “$21 million going to my friend PM Modi in India for voter turnout. We are giving $21 million for voter turnout in India, what about us? I want voter turnout too, Governor...” CAG reports to be tabled in Delhi Assembly on 25 Feb The Delhi Chief Minister had said the tabling of the 14 CAG reports was pending for long since the previous AAP government had not put them forward. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 22 FEBRUARY Fourteen reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) kept pending by the previous Aam Aadmi Party government during its tenure will be tabled on 22 February, during the first session of the 8th Legislative Assembly of Delhi, according to a bulletin issued by the Assembly Secretariat. The three-day session of Delhi Assembly is scheduled to commence from 24 February. Notably, the newly-formed BJP government approved the tabling of the CAG reports in the first meeting of its cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at the secretariat on Thursday. The Chief Minister said the tabling of the 14 CAG reports was pending for long since the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had not put them forward. The BJP and Congress had criticised the previous government for not tabling 14 CAG reports in the Delhi Assembly. Earlier, the BJP candidate for the post of the Delhi Assembly Speaker, Vijender Gupta, had said that once he gets elected, he will ensure that the CAG reports are tabled in the House. According to the bulletin, on the first day of session, all the newly elected MLAs will take oath of office, followed by the election of the Speaker. BJP MLA-elect from Gandhi Nagar Arvinder Singh Lovely will be the pro-tem Speaker. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena is scheduled to address the House on 25 February. In the recently concluded Assembly polls, the BJP won 48 out of 70 seats, the AAP 22 with the Congress drawing a blank for the third time in a row. Battle lines drawn for India-Pak clash TRIDIB BAPARNASH NEW DELHI, 22 FEBRUARY It’s time for the biggest match of the ICC Champions Trophy. It’s India vs Pakistan, a rivalry that generates a febrile atmosphere on both sides of the border, a rivalry where India’s recent dominance has been clear but Pakistan holds a marginal 3-2 head-to-head advantage in the Champions Trophy, and more importantly, a rivalry that elevates an average player to an overnight hero, and the heroics are written and shared across the globe for generations. In their long-standing ODI rivalry, Pakistan hold a slight edge, having won 73 out of 135 encounters, while India have emerged victorious in 57, and five matches haven’t yielded any results. However, the tide has shifted - apart from the occasional T20I win, India has largely dominated in the new millennium. Since 2010, they have won 12 out of 17 ODIs against Pakistan, with only four losses and one noresult. In the Champions Trophy, Pakistan, though, will be eager to do an encore of their last meeting at the 2017 final, where they crushed India by 180 runs ~ Something easier said than done. The Pakistan outfit, still licking their wounds from the dismal 60-run loss in their campaign opener to New Zealand in Karachi, will have to punch above their weight to beat India and stay alive in the competition. The loss in the Champions Trophy opener has left the tournament hosts tottering at the bottom of the table in their group. Having said that, Rohit Sharma & Co can’t discount the Men-in-Green, considering their unpredictable nature. The last time India and Pakistan clashed in a major ICC 50over contest was in 2023, at the highly anticipated ICC ODI World Cup match in Ahmedabad. However, it turned into a bit of an anti-climax with India comfortably chasing down a subpar target. Sunday’s ICC Champions Trophy clash between the archrivals at Dubai International Stadium promises a vastly different atmosphere. With a packed 25,000-strong crowd and millions watching worldwide, the pressure will be on both sides, and more so on Pakistan, considering their hopes of reaching the semifinals hang by a thread after the opening loss. While the odds are in India’s favour, Pakistan can never be written off, especially in door-die situations, and thus Sunday’s blockbuster clash will once again be a battle of nerves for both side. Stepping up its attack on the BJP on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issue, the Congress on Saturday demanded a comprehensive “White Paper” on the funds that political parties, individuals, NGOs, and other organisations receive from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums. The party also said that the “White Paper” should not only focus on USAID funding, but all such agencies which fund governments, individuals and all other entities under Indian law. The statement of the Congress came after the BJP hit out at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accusing him of acting as a “tool for foreign agencies” and aligning with global networks to undermine the country’s Shaktikanta Das appointed as Principal Secretary to PM Modi NEW DELHI, 22 FEBRUARY Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das has been appointed as the Principal Secretary2 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a government notification said on Saturday The appointments committee of the Cabinet said Mr Das’ appointment will be co-terminus with effect from the day he assumes the office. PK Mishra has been the Principal Secretary to the PM since 11 September 2019. Mr Das served as the RBI Governor for six years, including the three-year extension he was granted during his tenure. He is a former IAS officer of the 1980-batch Tamil Nadu cadre and had taken over the role of the RBI Governor in December 2018. Agencies interests, in the wake of US President Trump’s flagging alleged attempts by former US governments to influence elections in India. The Congress had earlier stated that the “funds narrative” (allocation of $21 million for increasing ‘voter turnout’ in India) was perpetrated by the BJP-led government to divert attention from its own sins of using foreign funds to destabilise previous Congress governments. Addressing a press conference, Congress’ Chairman of Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, its Ministers, its Economic Advisor, BJP’s IT Cell head and its ecosystem are desperately tying themselves in knots to somehow prove their allegation of ‘deep state’ and ‘foreign intervention’ with regards to the ‘$21 million USAID funds narrative’. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE HYDERABAD, 22 FEBRUARY Eight people, including the project engineer and site engineer, were trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel after a sidewall collapsed and water rushed in during tunnel boring near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to chief minister A Revanth Reddy and promised all support, including sending NDRF teams. Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy who rushed to the site to monitor rescue work following instructions from the chief minister said specialised rescue teams have been deployed. The authorities sought assistance from the Indian Army and experts involved in the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue. The project was designed to draw water for drinking and irrigation from the Srisailam reservoir to Nalgonda district. According to the irrigation minister, “Water gushed in for a stretch of three kilometres leading to soil displacement and a sidewall collapse, trapping eight workers including a project engineer and a site engineer…Due to the accident occurring 14 kilometres inside the tunnel, rescue teams face significant logistical challenge. We are operating with the belief that the trapped individuals are safe and we will make every possible effort to bring them out.” He indicated that there was a geological disturbance. The contractors, JP Associates and Robin Company, responsible for the tunnel boring work, stated that the mishap occurred 30 minutes after the morning shift started at 8 a.m. The workers positioned near the tunnel boring machine managed to escape but those at the front section of the tunnel were trapped. The authorities confirmed that the ventilation system inside the tunnel remained functional, ensuring oxygen supply to the trapped workers, who are mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. The state government decided to involve the Indian Army and rescue team of Singareni Colliery since they specialise in mining rescue. A medical team has been stationed at the site with ambulances and emergency staff on standby. After reports came in about the tunnel collapse, chief minister Revanth Reddy directed the district collector, superintendent of police, fire services, and HYDRAA as well as irrigation officials to rush to the spot and begin rescue work. Work recommenced at the site just four days ago after a gap of more than five years with the current government deciding to complete the construction by December 2026.