WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 16 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ALL-PARTY MEET OVER L.S. DELIMITATION PROPOSAL ON 5 MAR TRUMP EXPRESSES HOPE RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE NEARING ENDGAME P10 SENSEX 74,602.12p147.71 WEATHER Generally clear. Hazy in the evening. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 31°C and 20°C respectively. Min. 52% 22,547.55q5.80 Min: 20.7˚C SUN SETS 17:38 hrs MOON SETS 15:57 hrs New Moon on 28 February THUMBNAILS Devotees take a dip at Har ki Pauri on the eve of 'Maha Shivratri', in Haridwar on Tuesday. n ANI Earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hits Bay of Bengal: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the Bay of Bengal early on Tuesday morning, with tremors being felt in Kolkata and several regions of West Bengal. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at 6.10 a.m. at a depth of 91 kilometres. Kolkata, which lies in Seismic Zone III, is considered to have a moderate risk of earthquakes. (Page 4) BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 74.32q0.46 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE CAG’s report on the 2021-22 excise policy is tabled in Delhi Assembly KOLKATA, 25 FEBRUARY Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday that six ailing tea estates in north Bengal would be allowed to lease out their land for the next three years to ensure smooth wage payments to workers and overall improvement in the sector. Additionally, the government is taking strong measures to boost tea tourism and generate employment opportunities in the region. Speaking at a meeting at Nabanna, Miss Banerjee emphasised that the decision to lease out these six tea gardens is primarily to ensure that workers, who had been suffering due to non-payment of wages, get their rightful dues. If the lessees successfully manage the gardens, pay workers on time, and comply with provident fund and gratuity norms, the lease will be extended for 30 years. he Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) report on the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s 2021-2022 liquor policy which was tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday says that it led to a loss of over Rs 2,000 crore to the government exchequer. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled the CAG report in the Assembly amid thumping of desks by BJP MLAs. The controversy over the now-scrapped excise policy was a key issue in the just-concluded Assembly elections. The ‘Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi’ said: “Actual implementation was sub-optimal and objectives behind the policy were not achieved.” According to the report tabled on Tuesday, the audit observed several discrepancies in the way the Excise Department STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 FEBRUARY G's report puts erstwhile t P governm in the dock ment AG report on the 2021-22 excise policy of the government flags a series of financial s ularities and wro ongdoings The ‘Rep of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on port r tion Perform mance Audit on Regulat and Supply of Liquor in Delhi’ said that the state governmen suffered cumulative losses of nt e more than Rs 2,000 crore due to the 2021-2022 excise policy. It flagged multiple discrepancies in the way the Excise Department supply of liquor in the National monitor and regulated the s red Capital Territory of Delhi. T The increase in wholesaler margin from 5 per cent to 12 per cent led to a rise in their profit margin but a drop in govt revenues Lack of transparency and fairness the policy allowed the single applicant to operate up to 54 liquor vends, facilitating cartelization. monitored and regulated the supply of liquor in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The report contains the results of a Performance Audit conducted on “Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi” covering a period of four years from 2017-18 to 2021-22 to examine Regulation and Supply of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and Foreign Liquor in Delhi. Audit findings for the period 2017-21 indicate violation in award of licens- of action. Further, the mandate is to closely examine imported goods and propose tariff adjustments. Once the recommendations are submitted, the final decision on the tariff relief will need to be vetted by the Prime Minister’s Office before being implemented. India has already been "extremely responsive" in addressing the perception that it imposes high tariffs on foreign goods. The review panel’s work will be crucial in determining India’s response to the USA’s proposed tariffs. In a separate development, the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal during his virtual address at the Pune International Business SummitThe Minister stressed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visits to the USA and France have paved the way for greater investment and enhanced collaborations. Emphasising that the 2day summit will delve into emerging trade trends, build robust alliances and highlight the transformative role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in driving Viksit Bharat, Goyal pointed out that representatives from over 20 countries will participate at the event, reflecting global confidence in India's resilience. US President Donald Trump has recently said that his administration will soon impose reciprocal tariffs on countries such as India and China, reiterating what he had said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US capital. The Expert Committee’s reco endations were disregarde omm ed duriing the drafting of the 2021-22 exciise policy uor Liqu vends were approved in resiidential areas, without approval from the MCD or DDA m Exemptions and th relaxations in t e policy were allowed without the Delhi Cabinet’s approval or the Lt. Governor’s clearance es, lack of transparency in pricing of IMFL, inadequate control of quality of liquor, weak regulatory functioning regarding timely identification and plugging of revenue leakages and acting against smuggling of liquor, lack of rigour in evidence collection and substantiation in cases of violations of Delhi Excise Act/Rules etc. The Report also brings out deficiencies in the New Excise Policy (202122) such as ignoring the recommendations of the The Excise Dept lost Rs 890.15 cr. due to the surrender of licences and its failure to re-tender liquor zones. The report also flagged an irregular waiver of Rs 144 cr. for licence holders, citing Covid restrictions Expert Committee formed for suggesting changes for formation of new Excise Policy such as grant of wholesale license to private entities instead of Stateowned wholesale entity, upfront charging of excise duty in the license fees in place of excise duty to be charged per bottle and applicant being allowed to get a maximum of 54 retail vends instead of a maximum of two vends; design and award of licenses and implementation of the policy. 1984 anti-Sikh riots: Former Cong MP Sajjan Kumar gets life imprisonment in 2nd case STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 FEBRUARY The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi on Tuesday awarded life imprisonment to former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. He was convicted in the case related to the killing of a fatherson duo in the Saraswati Vihar area of the national capital on 1 November 1984. The court, on 12 February this year, found the accused politician guilty under the provisions related to rioting, unlawful assembly, and murder. The case pertains to the brutal murder of Jaswant Singh and his son, Tarundeep Singh, during the widespread violence that erupted following the assassination of thenprime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The complainant in the case, who lost her husband and son in the mob attack allegedly incited by Kumar, had sought the death penalty to Sajjan Kumar citing the heinous nature of the crime. Reacting to the verdict, Sikh leader Gurlad Singh expressed his disappointment with the sentence. He said: "We will not accept anything less than the death penalty. We are not happy with the court’s decision and will urge the government to appeal for a harsher punishment." Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) General Secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon, while acknowledging that justice has eventually prevailed in the case, expressed his disappointment over the sentence. North-East to play key role in India's growth story: PM Modi ABHIJIT DEB GUWAHATI, 25 FEBRUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday highlighted North-East India's dominant role in India's development, asserting that the region is making rapid strides in various sectors and will significantly contribute to the country's vision for 2047. Speaking at the Advantage Assam 2.0 global summit, Mr Modi underscored Assam’s growing economic strength, noting that the state's economy has doubled from Rs 3 lakh crore in 2018 to Rs 6 lakh crore today. He credited this progress to the "double-engine government," referring to the BJP-led governments at both the Centre and in the Assam, emphasising the massive boost in infrastructure, connectivity, and investment climate. "In the past 70 years, Assam had only three bridges, SILVER 1,08,000 GOLD 89,295.00 P16 ‘`2,000 crore loss to Delhi Government clears leasing out of govt due to liquor policy’ sick tea estates in north Bengal Govt sets up high-level committee to review tariff relief on imports from USA The Government of India has set up a high-level committee which is tasked to review tariff relief on imports from the USA. The development comes amid the Trump administration’s plans to impose reciprocal tariffs across trading countries by 2 April. The panel is being formed under the Union Commerce Ministry, and will likely submit its report by 15 March to the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance. The government review is looking at tariffs that currently range between 15–20 per cent, 50–70 per cent, and 70–80 per cent, and whether rate adjustment could be made in “8-digit code identifying a specific product for custom purposes”, agency reports said, citing sources. The committee will assess the scope of possible tariff reductions and is tasked to recommend the best course P12 ` vs $ 87.23 T TEMPERATURE Max: 31.5˚C SUN RISES 06:00 hrs MOON RISES 04:45 hrs P6 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 FEBRUARY RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 71% NIFTY PONTING PRAISES KOHLI FOR TON AGAINST PAKISTAN ‘GOVT BUILDING FUTURE-READY INFRA ECOSYSTEM’ but in the last 10 years, four more have been built. Rail and air connectivity have also expanded significantly, with 30 new flight routes operational in the region," Mr Modi stated. He added that peace accords and the resolution of border issue have improved the law-and-order situation, fostering an environment conducive to business and innovation. The Prime Minister also highlighted India's ambitious energy goals, projecting an additional 500 GW of renew- able energy capacity by 2030. He stressed Assam’s advantage in this sector, alongside its growing contributions to manufacturing, electronics, semiconductors, and green energy. "Assam is emerging as a semiconductor hub, and the state's refining capacity has been enhanced. The region holds 50 per cent of India's onshore gas production share, making it a crucial player in energy security," he said. Mr Modi reiterated the government's commitment to making Assam a preferred investment destination, urging global investors to tap into the region's unlimited potential. He emphasised the role of youth in driving innovation and economic transformation, positioning Assam as the gateway to South East Asia. With a target of Rs 150 billion set for Assam’s economy, the state is poised for accelerated growth, particularly in logistics, agriculture, and tourism. "When India becomes a developed nation by 2047, the North East will have played a major role in shaping that future," Mr Modi asserted. The leased-out land will primarily be used for the purposes of development of tourism centres and homestays. The Chief Minister also hit back at opposition parties, which she accused of spreading misinformation regarding changes in tea garden land laws. "Some ghost parties are falsely claiming that the government is altering tea garden land laws. This is completely untrue," she asserted. Miss Banerjee clarified that no legal modifications are being made concerning tea garden land ownership. However, if there is surplus land within the estates, commercial activities will be permitted on that portion. She also made it clear that no single entity would be granted more than 30 acres of land at a time. The Chief Minister said that 15 per cent of non-cultivated tea garden land had already been permitted for commercial use, particularly for tea tourism. However, stringent conditions will be imposed on such projects. If 80 per cent of the workforce in both tea gardens and commercial ventures comprises locals and all due wages, provident fund, and gratuity payments are ensured, only then will the proposals be considered by Chief Secretary Hari Krishna Dwivedi. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been formulated to regulate such activities, Miss Banerjee said. (Another report on Pg 3) We need multilateral system that reflects contemporary global realities: Jaishankar STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 FEBRUARY External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday stressed the urgent need for a multilateral system that reflects contemporary global realities, one that is better equipped to respond to modern challenges. “The world continues to grapple with conflicts and crises, growing more fractured, uncertain, and unstable in the face of emerging challenges, even as it struggles to recover from the recent ones,” he said at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. “Multilateralism is more essential than ever - but not in its current form. The past few years have exposed the stark inadequacies of existing multilateral structures. When the world needed them the most, they were found wanting. If we truly seek to protect and promote human rights for all, we cannot afford to ignore the need for urgent reform,” the minister said. Mr Jaishankar said India’s unwavering commitment to human rights is deeply rooted in its enduring philosophy of global unity, openness, and mutual respect. “These values form the foundation of our constitutional framework, which guarantees fundamental rights while upholding the ideals of justice, liberty, and equality,” he said.