FRIDAY 10 JANUARY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 | LC KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR POLITICAL MISOGYNY TIRUPATI STAMPEDE: NAIDU ORDERS JUDICIAL INQUIRY P4 SENSEX 77,620.21 q528.28 WEATHER Mainly clear sky. Maximum and Minimum Temperature most likely to be around 22˚C and 13˚C respectively. RAINFALL: 0.0 mm RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 92% Min. 55% NIFTY 23,526.50 p162.45 P6 P7 ` vs $ 85.85 GOLD 80,020.00 ‘Gangasagar tougher to reach than Mahakumbh’ CM Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Gangasagar Mela at Babughat STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA, 9 JANUARY TEMPERATURE Max: 22.3˚C (-2.4) SUN RISES 06:19 hrs MOON RISES 12:48 hrs Min: 13.6˚C (-0.3) SUN SETS 17:09 hrs MOON SETS 01:32 hrs Full Moon on 14 January THUMBNAILS Visitors arrive during an exhibition at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations, in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. n ANI Market extends previous session's losses; Nifty slips below 23,550: Stock market extended the previous session's losses with Nifty finishing below 23,550 amid selling across the sectors bearing FMCG. Indices opened flat but soon bears took charge and dragged the Nifty near 23,500. At close, the Sensex was down 528.28 points or 0.68 pc at 77,620.21, and the Nifty was down 162.45 points or 0.69 pc at 23,526.50. (Page 10) KTR grilled by ACB: The Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday interrogated the BRS working president KT Rama Rao for seven hours in connection with the Formula E race case. After leaving the ACB office the BRS cadre gave their leader a rousing welcome at the party headquarters, carrying him on their shoulders. The former municipal administration and urban development (MAUD) minister has milked the opportunity thrown up by his legal hassles under the Congress government to charge up his own party cadres. Meanwhile, special chief secretary Arvind Kumar also appeared before the Enforcement Directorate. (Page 4) C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee said reaching the Gangasagar Mela is tougher than getting to the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj as one has to cross a river to reach the venue. She inaugurated the Gangasagar Mela at Babughat in the city this evening. Miss Banerjee reiterated that the Centre should declare the Gangasagar mela a national fair. She further announced that the state government is constructing a 5 km long, four-lane bridge on the river at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore. Once the bridge is completed, reaching Gangasagar will no longer be a problem. “It is unfortunate that the Centre, despite our requests, did not take any steps to provide money. But we are going ahead with the project, and after three years, reaching the Gangasagar Mela ground will not be a problem at all,” she said. Miss Banerjee said the state government has provided Rs 5 lakh insurance cover for the pilgrims visiting Gangasagar, along with the officials of the state administration, police, fire brigade personnel, and journalists covering the event. “We have left no stone unturned to ensure safety and security for the people visiting the Gangasagar Mela. I have visited the place and held a meeting with the senior officials, including the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, and oversaw the arrangements. More than one crore people had visited the mela in 2024," she said. Miss Banerjee said around 4,000 buses will be deployed, which includes 2,300 state-run buses, 250 private buses, and those coming from other states, to ferry pilgrims to and from Gangasagar. The state government has withdrawn pilgrim tax. Miss Banerjee said: "Before 2011, visiting the mela was not a pleasant experience. There was no Amid AAP-Congress row ahead of Delhi polls, Omar says wind up INDIA grouping STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, 9 JANUARY Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday lashed out at the bitter campaign between the AAP and Congress ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls and said the INDIA bloc should be wound up as unity is lacking among the Opposition. Soon after Mr Abdullah INDIA SEEK RIGHT BALANCE IN ODI SET-UP A LAND-GRAB AGENDA FOR MODERN TIMES made the statement, however, his father and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said those who think the alliance was just for parliamentary polls should come out of this misconception. Omar and Farooq Abdullah were speaking to reporters on the sidelines of different functions in the Jammu region. Mr Abdullah, whose National Conference is part of the INDIA bloc, said in response to questions from mediapersons that both AAP and Congress are part of the bloc but they are contesting the elections in Delhi and also resorting to acrimonious poll campaigns against each other. "They should wind up the alliance in case it was just for the Lok Sabha elections," Mr Abdullah said. place to stay for the pilgrims. The place was untidy. Now things have improved. The pilgrims can stay at the venue, and the whole area has been brightly illuminated. There are bio-toilets and drinking water facilities for the pilgrims." She said there are 3,000 volunteers, and in every bus carrying outstation pilgrims there will be a guide called Sagarbandhu who will guide the pilgrims who do not understand Bengali. She said arrangements for air ambulance and water ambulance have been made to bring pilgrims to the hospitals. Elaborate police arrangements have been made to maintain peace and security. She asked the police not to allow overcrowded vessels to ply. The vessels will run for 20 hours, and powerful fog lights have been attached to every launch and vessel. She urged the pilgrims not to be in a rush, and follow the instructions of the administration. NEW DELHI, 9 JANUARY The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has examined the concerns raised about the functioning of the Right to Information (RTI) portal and clarified that the system is operational and effective after the introduction of a new One-Time Password (OTP) feature. “A comprehensive review by the DoPT has confirmed that the portal’s newly implemented features, including an enhanced security protocol, are operational and user-friendly,” an official press note said on Thursday. Responding to issues reported by some users, the DoPT clarified that the OTP feature, introduced on 2 January, was implemented to authenticate users and protect sensitive personal information included in RTI applications. By ensuring only authorised access, the measure strengthens cybersecurity and aligns with best practices. Concerns were raised about delays in receiving OTPs. The DoPT explained that while OTPs are promptly dispatched from the NIC email domain, delays may occasionally occur due to SILVER 92,500 BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 76.59 India committed to principle of ‘humanity first’, PM tells diaspora STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHUBANESWAR, 9 JANUARY Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised India's philosophy of peace and universal brotherhood, stating that “the future lies not in war but in Buddha” as he inaugurated the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. “It was in Odisha that Emperor Ashoka renounced war and embraced the path of peace, while the rest of the world expanded empires through the power of the sword. The Peace Pagoda at Dhauli symbolises this transformation,” the Prime Minister remarked. He said that this legacy inspires India to convey to the world that the path forward is one of peace and compassion. “India is now recognised globally as a Vishwa Bandhu (friend of the world),” he said, urging the Indian diaspora to strengthen this global connection through their efforts. “India is not just the mother of democracy; democracy is an intrinsic part of Indian life,” the Prime Minister observed. He highlighted how Indians naturally embrace diversity and integrate seamlessly into the societies they join. Projecting a bright future for the country, Mr. Modi stated that India will remain the world's youngest and most skilled population for decades, meeting global skill demands. He also pointed to India's incredible pace of development, asserting that the country is on track to become the world’s thirdlargest economy. He emphasised India's recent achievements, including the success of the Chandrayaan mission, the global recognition of Digital India's strength, and advances in renewable energy, aviation, electric mobility, and infrastructure projects such as metros and bullet trains. "India is now manufacturing fighter jets and transport aircraft domestically," he said, envisioning a future where people will travel to India in “Made-in-India” aircraft for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. “Today's India firmly asserts its perspective and amplifies the voice of the Global South,” the Prime Minister said, noting the unanimous support for India's proposal to make the African Union a permanent member of the G-20. India, he stressed, is committed to the principle of "Humanity First." Mr Modi assured the diaspora that the issues they face are being addressed, including easier access to consulates and embassies. He proposed that the diaspora organise award functions in their respective countries to recognise prominent local residents in various fields and participate in tree-planting drives under the initiative “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” (One Tree in Mother's Name). RG Kar incident: Verdict to be pronounced on 18 January AGENCIES KOLKATA, 9 JANUARY A special court in Kolkata will pronounce on 18 January the verdict in the case relating to the rape and murder of a junior woman doctor of R G Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August last year. The verdict will come 68 days after the trial in the case started on 11 November last year. Hearings in the trial concluded on Thursday, fol- RTI portal functioning smoothly, says DoPT amid concerns over OTP feature STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE P12 high traffic on either NIC server or external email services like Gmail or Yahoo. Importantly, the OTPs do not expire until they are used, meaning users can access the status of their applications as soon as the OTP arrives, the note said. As of 9 January morning, 9,782 users have successfully accessed RTI statuses using the new system, underscoring its reliability, it said. While some users also criticised the additional step as complicating the process, the DoPT reiterated that the measure is vital for protecting user privacy and that the system has been tested thoroughly to ensure smooth functioning. Regarding complaints of inaccessible helpline services, the department confirmed that users can reach out to the RTI Help Desk. The DoPT reiterated that it remains committed to transparency, accessibility, and user satisfaction, with ongoing monitoring of the RTI portal to maintain its efficiency. The recent updates are part of the government’s broader initiative to enhance digital services while safeguarding the rights of citizens under the RTI Act, the DoPT note said. lowing which the additional district and sessions judge of Sealdah court said that the judgment will be delivered on 18 January. The brutalised body of the doctor was found from the seminar hall within R.G Kar premises on the morning of 9 August last year. The initial investigation into the matter was carried out by a special investigation team of Kolkata Police, who arrested civic volunteer Sanjay Roy as the prime accused in the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which later took over the investigation, too in its charge sheet identified Roy as the "sole prime accused" in the crime. The CBI also arrested the former principal of R G Kar, Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station, Abhijit Mondal, on charges of tampering with evidence. However, both were granted default bail by the special court recently because the CBI failed to file a supple- mentary charge sheet against them within 90 days from the date of their arrests. Dr Ghosh is still behind bars because of a parallel probe against him by CBI in the case of financial irregularities at R G Kar, while Mr Mondal is currently out on bail. The parents of the victim, meanwhile, approached Calcutta High Court and then the Supreme Court with a plea for a fresh probe to unravel the “bigger” conspiracy behind the crime.