FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI ‘Bioenergy, green hydrogen top govt priorities’ Trump slams Iran’s counter proposal as ‘totally unacceptable’ INDIA Decoding TN: Vijay’s new lease of life to Congress Page 9 Bengal’s CEO for Assembly polls appointed new chief secretary: Government assures ‘no crisis’ situation, reiterates PM’s appeal STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi , 11 May T Kolkata: Manoj Kumar Agarwal, who served as the Chief Electoral Officer during the recent West Bengal Assembly election, was on Monday appointed the new Chief Secretary of the state. Agarwal’s appointment was announced through a notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms from the state secretariat Nabanna. The present Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala has been shifted to Delhi as Principal Resident Commissioner in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary of the West Bengal government. he central government on Monday addressed concerns related to India’s energy supplies, and reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to all citizens to reduce their consumption of petrol and diesel. Sujata Sharma, joint secretary for ministry of petroleum & natural gas, said, "I would like to convey to you that the Prime Minister has urged all citizens of the country to reduce their consumption of petrol and diesel. Wherever possible, utilise the Metro and public transportation; opt for carpooling; prioritise railways as a mode of transportation for goods; and wherever feasible, increase the usage of electric vehicles. Let us all come together and make every possible effort to conserve energy in our daily lives, so that the economic burden currently weighing upon the nation may be alleviated." "The Government of India has taken several effective measures and has strived to ensure that fuel supplies are maintained for the common consumer with minimal inconvenience. As a result of all these steps taken, our crude oil inventory remains well-maintained," she said. Sharma said, "Our refineries are operating at optimum levels. There are no instances of dry-outs at any retail outlets. Nor have any dry-outs been reported at LPG distributorships. Adequate stocks of petrol and diesel are available, and LPG supplies for domestic cooking purposes are being maintained. Over the past three days, 1 crore 26 lakh LPG cylinders have been delivered to households against 1 crore 14 lakh bookings. Similarly, sales of commercial LPG have exceeded 17,000 tonnes over the last three days. Sales of Auto LPG have also surpassed 762 tonnes..." The 5th Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) also met to finalise a strategy that blends military-grade strategic planning with a public appeal for mass participation, echoing the collective spirit of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite international volatility, Chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the IGoM confirmed that India's immediate energy security is robust. "The IGoM was informed that the country is secure, and there is no shortage of any petroleum product, even as most other nations have taken emergency measures to dramatically reduce domestic consumption. India has 60 days of crude oil, 60 days of Natural Gas and 45 days of LPG rolling stock. The foreign exchange reserves stand at a comfortable $703 billion. India is the world's third largest oil refiner and fourth largest exporter of petroleum products, exporting to over 150 countries and is meeting domestic demand in full," as per the Ministry of Defence press release. Barcelona retain La Liga title by beating rival Real Madrid Page 12 Page 8 Page 10 BRIEFLY Tuesday, 12 May 2026 SPORTS WORLD BUSINESS | After PM’s caution: Pump prices set to go up JAYANTA ROY CHOWDHURY New Delhi, 11 May Auto-fuel price hikes in India now appear less a matter of political timing than of economic arithmetic. The pressures have been building quietly for months, hidden behind a deceptively simple number: the price of crude oil. Even without a full-scale war in West Asia, analysts increasingly expect global crude prices to average between USD 95 and USD 105 a barrel in 2026, sharply higher than the roughly USD 65-70 average seen in the year before. While the Reserve Bank of India had projected India’s crude basket at about USD 85 this year, the cost of the actual average price of India’s crude oil purchases climbed to USD 114.48 a barrel last month. “It is unlikely that the average price for India’s crude purchases is going to go below USD 100 in the first half of this year,” said Amit Bannerjee, an independent merchant banker. India imports more than 85 per cent of its crude oil, and every USD 10 rise in crude prices inflates India’s annual import bill by roughly USD 1.5-2 billion. Last month, the Central government had slashed excise duties by Rs 10 a litre for petrol and diesel in a bid to cushion the effect of keeping pump prices stable. However, the give-away by the government cannot be sustained forever, nor can oil companies bear the higher cost of crude and sell at a lower pump price forever. Oil marketing companies have a combined notional loss of Rs 1 lakh crore for the ten months when prices have been going haywire because of the war, said petroleum ministry officials. “The end of the election cycle may remove one political restraint on fuel price revisions, but the deeper reality is that the economics are becoming harder to ignore. Oil marketing companies cannot indefinitely absorb losses, nor can the government continue underwriting price stability without straining public finances,” said Prof Biswajit Dhar, former WTO chair at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to acknowledge that broader vulnerability even before the latest escalation in West Asia. Speaking at an event in Hyderabad on Sunday, as fears of conflict began spreading across the region, he urged Indians to reduce “avoidable imports” and conserve energy. Suvendu Cabinet approves BSF land transfer, Centre announces July 2026 rollout of Viksit Ayushman Bharat in first Nabanna meeting Bharat-G RAM G Act replacing MGNREGA STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 11 May The newly formed West Bengal government on Monday outlined a series of administrative, security, and welfarerelated measures following its first cabinet meeting at the state secretariat, Nabanna, including land transfer to the Border Security Force (BSF) for border fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border and the introduction of the Centre’s various social welfare programmes, including the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, in the state. “At our very first Cabinet meeting today, we have taken the decision to transfer the land to the BSF (Border Security Force). The process of transferring this land commences today. It will be trans- ferred to the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) within the next 45 days. Once this is accomplished, the BSF will complete the border fencing, and the ongoing issue of illegal infiltration will be resolved within a short period," chief minister Adhikari said minutes after stepping out of the cabinet meeting. The allocation of land along the Indo-Bangladesh border to the BSF for building border infrastructure and addressing infiltration was one of the main issues raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the election campaign in Bengal. The BJP had accused the erstwhile Trinamul Congress (TMC) led state government in the state of purposefully not letting out land to the BSF to build infrastructure, alleging that the TMC actively supported cross-border infiltrators who, in turn, were converted into a vote bank across nine border districts. A large section of the 2216.7 km land border that the state shares with Bangladesh is not fenced. Adhikari also announced a relaxation in the age limit for government jobs in a bid to address the unemployment issue plaguing the state. “We decided to have an age relaxation of five years on the upper limit for applying to government jobs in the state,” Adhikari said. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister said the administration would prioritise “good governance, security, and development” while aligning the state more closely with several flagship schemes of the Centre. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 11 May In a sweeping restructuring of India’s rural employment framework, the Centre on Monday announced that the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, or VB–G RAM G Act, will come into effect nationwide from July 1, 2026, replacing the nearly two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The Ministry of Rural Development described the move as a “historic transition” aimed at creating a more integrated, productivity-driven and future-oriented rural economy aligned with the government’s broader “Viksit Bharat @2047” vision. “With the coming into force of the VB–G RAM G Act, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 shall stand repealed from the same date,” the ministry said in an official release. Under the new legislation, rural households whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work will be legally entitled to 125 days of wage employment annually, up from the 100-day guarantee under MGNREGA. The Centre said the expanded entitlement was intended to strengthen livelihood security, improve rural incomes and accelerate development at the village level. “Employment shall be provided to workers against their demand for work within the prescribed time frame, failing which workers shall remain entitled to unemployment allowance in accordance with the provisions of the Act,” the release stated. The government also unveiled a record budget allocation of Rs 95,692.31 crore for the scheme in 2026–27, calling it the highest-ever Budget Estimate allocation for a rural employment programme. Including state contributions, the total outlay is expected to exceed Rs 1.51 lakh crore. According to the ministry, the enhanced allocation is expected to generate largescale rural employment while giving “fresh momentum to rural infrastructure development” and income enhancement initiatives. The new framework will retain the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism for wage payments, with wages to be disbursed weekly or within 15 days after the closure of muster rolls. Workers will continue to be eligible for compensation in case of delayed payments. Three arrested from UP, Bihar in Suvendu aide murder case ‘Somnath Temple stands as beacon of unwavering faith’ SNEHAL SENGUPTA Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the Somnath Temple "stands as a beacon of unwavering faith" as he participated in the Somnath Amrit Mahotsav at the sacred Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath, Gujarat. "The Somnath Temple stands as a beacon of unwavering faith, divinity, and a sacred symbol of India’s eternal soul," said PM Modi while addressing a public rally near the temple at Sadbhavna Ground. Recalling history, he said, "Many attacks on Somnath took place. A thousand years ago, the first of many attacks on Somnath took place. Those who kept engaging in such attacks believed they could shatter the ethos of our land. But they were wrong. Thanks to fiercely courageous children of Bharat Mata, Somnath kept getting rebuilt." Kolkata, 11 May Police have arrested three men from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari, who was shot dead minutes away from his home in Madhyamgram in North 24Parganas district. Rath was gunned down in the Doharia area of Madhyamgram late on 6 May after his SUV was intercepted by a Nissan Micra hatchback on a lane leading to his apartment, where he lived with his family. Bike-borne assailants then opened fire on the vehicle. His driver also sustained gunshot injuries in the attack, while another person travelling in the car escaped unhurt. According to a senior officer of the state CID, the attackers used a Nissan Micra to block Rath’s vehicle before two gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at close range using sophisticated Glock pistols. The brazen attack triggered a massive multi-state manhunt led by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). In an official statement issued on Monday, police confirmed the arrest of three suspects in connection with the case registered at Madhyamgram Police Station. “Three suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of Chandranath Rath on 6 May 2026, at Madhyamgram. Based on specific leads, Mayank Raj Mishra and Vicky Maurya were detained from Buxar in Bihar, while Raj Singh was detained from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh on 10 May. Following interrogation, all three were formally arrested this morning. Investigation is proceeding,” a senior CID officer said. CID sources said the accused are suspected to be professional shooters with criminal backgrounds and links to previous targeted killings. One of the accused is believed to be a history-sheeter with an extensive criminal record. Investigators suspect the murder may have been a contract killing and are now focusing on identifying those who may have financed or ordered the attack. Police sources said investigators achieved a major breakthrough after tracing the account used to pay toll charges for the Nissan Micra at Bally Bridge. The digital trail reportedly helped officers track the movement of the suspects across several states before the arrests were made. ANURAG KUMAR Gir Somnath, 11 May "Seventy-five years ago on this day, the doors of the newly-rebuilt Somnath Temple opened in the presence of the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, proclaiming to the world that while the attackers have faded into the dust of history, the soul of Bharat endures. Somnath stands tall and eternal. It showcases our civilisational courage and our unbroken devotion. May the blessings of Mahadev always remain upon us all," he added. During his address, the PM also recalled how Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Deputy Prime Minister, played a decisive role in the temple's reconstruction." "In Somnath, heartfelt tributes were paid to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. His foresight and unwavering resolve played a decisive role in the temple's reconstruction. Sardar Patel's dream was that Somnath, the symbol of India's cultural legacy and spiritual continuity, would be reestablished in all its divine splendor and grandeur. We shall forever remain committed to realising his vision for the nation," PM Modi stressed. However, invoking the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, PM Modi said even in matters of national pride, "politics" happens, and "Somnath" is the biggest example of it. "After independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr Rajendra Prasad tried hard to rebuild the temple, but they faced opposition from Nehru ji. Today, I will not go in-depth about it, but it was the determination of Sardar sahab that, despite such opposition, Somnath Temple was rebuilt," PM Modi stressed. It is pertinent to mention here that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel initiated the reconstruction of the Somnath temple in November 1947. After visiting the ruins, he vowed to rebuild it. This led to the formation of a trust that oversaw the restoration, which was completed in 1951. Before addressing the gathering, the PM performed a "grand Mahapuja". "Obtaining the supreme fortune of the grand Mahapuja and Kumbhabhisheka at the feet of Mahadev on the majestic and divinely sacred land of Somnath is one of the most deeply emotional and unforgettable moments of life. This ethereal opportunity for the darshan and worship of Mahadev, while remembering the divine form of the people as Ishvara Janardan, has overwhelmed the heart with infinite spiritual energy, devotion, and a consciousness immersed in Shivamaya," Modi said. The temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and a symbol of India’s enduring faith and civilisational heritage. The mahotsav marked 75 years since the inauguration of the restored temple.