WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH 2025 www.thestatesman.com Pages 12 |` 5.00| LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘ANNOUNCEMENT ON AUTONOMY SOON TO UPHOLD STATE’S RIGHTS’ FADNAVIS ALLEGES SULE'S LINK TO BLACKMAILERS OF BJP MINISTER P8 P5 SENSEX 78,017.19 p32.80 WEATHER MAINLY CLEAR SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 39 AND 18 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. RAINFALL: Nil RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 80 % TEMPERATURE ` vs $ 85.69 P9 GOLD `90,330.00 Min: 16.0 °C (1.3) SUN SETS 18:36 hrs MOON SETS 15:18 hrs Rekha Gupta presents 'historic' Delhi Budget THUMBNAILS Security forces continue the cordon and search operation in the Saniyal area of Hiranagar on Tuesday for the second consecutive day after receiving input regarding the presence of terrorists in Kathua. nANI BJP to distribute 'Saugat-e-Modi' kits to 32 lakh poor Muslims across country: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minority Morcha is set to launch its "Saugat-e-Modi" campaign, aiming to distribute special kits to 32 lakh underprivileged Muslims across the country ahead of Eid. The initiative, kicking off from Nizamuddin in Delhi on Tuesday under the guidance of BJP National President JP Nadda, seeks to ensure that poor Muslim families can celebrate the festival without any hardship. As part of the campaign, 32,000 Minority Morcha workers will collaborate with 32,000 mosques nationwide to reach the needy. (P3) AGRAJ PRATAP SINGH Dhankhar holds all-party meeting on judiciary D A ‘historic’ allocation of Rs 9,000 crore has been made for providing clean water and sanitation to Delhi's citizens Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated to improve the connectivity of Delhi with the NCR region with the support of the Central Government. The government has allocated Rs 3,843 crore for improvement of roads and bridges. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 MARCH To improve the city's public transport system, Rs 12,952 crore has been targeted for 2025-26. A total budget of Rs 10,047 crore has been allocated for the Social Security sector, out of which Rs 9,780 crore has been allocated for schemes and projects of the Social Welfare, Women and Child Development and SC/ST/OBC Welfare Department. The outlay in the BJP government’s maiden budget is Rs 24,000 crore higher than the budget estimates of the previous year when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was in power, marking an increase of 31.58 per cent. The key focus areas of the budget are infrastructure development, industrial development and investment promotion, health and education for all, tourism art language and cultural promotion, expanding social security and development, seamless connectivity with new era of public transport, efficient irrigation and flood control which includes improvement in irrigation and flood control measures, sustainable development, pollution control and power, with green growth. Delhi witnessed a downfall in different developmental aspects during the past decade with the previous ruling dispensation ruining the national capital's economic health. She said the capital expenditure budget has been doubled to Rs 28,000 crore. The key focus areas of the budget are infrastructure development, industrial development and investment promotion, health and education for all, tourism art language and cultural promotion, expanding social security and development, seamless connectivity with new era of public transport, efficient irrigation and flood control which includes improvement in irrigation and flood control measures, sustainable development, pollution control and power, with green growth. According to the CM, Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated to improve the connectivity of Delhi with the NCR region with the support of the Central Government by launching infrastructure projects through the funds available under Central Roads Fund (CRF) and Urban Development Fund. The government has allocated Rs 3,843 crore for improvement of roads and bridges. She asserted that providing clean water and sanitation to Delhi's citizens is the primary responsibility of the government, and now there is a visionary plan for this sector with a historic allocation of Rs 9,000 crore. A total budget of Rs 10,047 crore has been allocated for the Social Security sector, out of which Rs 9,780 crore has been allocated for schemes and projects of the Social Welfare, Women and Child Development and SC/ST/OBC Welfare Department. To improve the city's public transport system, Rs 12,952 crore has been targeted for 2025-26. The government has allocated Rs 1401 crore for rural development, agriculture and Irrigation and flood control. MORE REPORTS ON PAGE 2 An all-party meeting was held in Parliament on the issue of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court under the chairmanship of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Leader of the House JP Nadda and Leader of tbe Opposition in the upper house Mallikarjun Kharge were present in the meeting, along with floor leaders of the DMK, BJD, BRS, CPM, UBT, AGP, TMC, Congress, and BJP, sources said. According to the sources, the discussion in the meeting centred on key judicial matters in light of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act being struck down by the Supreme Court even as it was passed by Parliament and approved by 16 states in 2015. According to the sources, the Modi government is exploring the revival of the NJAC. As soon as the Rajya Sabha met for the day, Mr Dhankhar said: ''It concerns the sovereignty of Parliament, the Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill 2025 with 35 govt amendments, I-T Bill in Monsoon session Army denies reports of drone veering into Chinese territory STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE PARWINDER SANDHU NEW DELHI, 25 MARCH The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Finance Bill, 2025 with 35 amendments, one of which eliminates the 6 per cent digital tax on online advertisements. Replying to the debate on the bill, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "I have proposed to remove (the) 6 per cent equalisation levy for advertisements. Equalisation levy on online advertisements to be abolished to address uncertainty in international economic conditions." Earlierintheday,theminister presented the amended Finance Bill, 2025, seeking approval for key Budget proposals. Marking a significant shift in digital taxation policy, the Finance Bill 2025-26 has pro- posed to withdraw the 6 per cent Equalisation Levy on online advertising services starting 1 April 2025. The proposal to remove the Equalisation Levy on online advertisements is believed to be aimed at showing an accommodative stance to the US, which has threatened to introduce reciprocal tariffs from 2 April. "The Finance Bill, 2025 provides unprecedented tax relief to honour taxpayers," said Sitharaman. The Finance Minister informed the House that the new Income Tax Bill will be taken up for discussion in the Monsoon session of Parliament. She said the new income tax bill, which was introduced in the House on 13 February, is currently being vetted by the Select Committee. The Select Committee has been mandated to submit its report by the first day of the next session of Parliament. TMC, Congress stage protest TMC and Congress MPs held a protest in Parliament on Tuesday against the Union government for allegedly stopping transfer of MNREGA funds to West Bengal. Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and lawmaker Priyanka Gandhi also joined the protest for a short period of time. Speaking to reporters on the issue, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said: "We have been saying that Central funds due to Bengal should be given to the state... Shivraj Chouhan (Union Agriculture Minister) is against the Bengali people. They have been trying to form a government there (West Bengal), but they will not be able to do so... They are not doing anything for the poor. Shivraj Chouhan is a 'Dalal' for the rich people.” NEW DELHI, 25 MARCH The Indian Army has categorically denied reports suggesting that an Indian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) veered into Chinesecontrolled territory in the Eastern Theatre and was subsequently hacked by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). A report published by alphadefense.in claimed that an Indian drone, operating near the eastern sector of the Indo-China border, unexpectedly drifted into Chinese airspace. The article, which did not specify the exact date of the alleged incident, further claimed that the Chinese Army temporarily took control of the unmanned aerial vehicle „We urge media houses and social media users to refrain from carrying unverified and misleading content, which could create unnecessary alarm and misinformation in the public domain. The Army remains fully committed to the security and operational integrity of all its assets,‰ a military source stated. (UAV), operated it for a short duration, and then returned it to their Indian counterpart. The report also speculated that the drone in question was of Israeli origin, along with its data link and ground control station. In response to these claims, the Indian Army dismissed the article as "completely baseless and factually incorrect," stating that no such incident had occurred. “We urge media houses and social media users to refrain from carrying unverified and misleading content, which could create unnecessary alarm and misinformation in the public domain. The Indian Army remains fully committed to the security and operational integrity of all its assets,” a military source stated. The denial comes amid ongoing tensions along the Indo-China border, where both nations have been maintaining a heightened level of military vigilance. 83,668 WhatsApp accounts used for ‘digital arrest’ blocked: Home Ministry India rejects Pakistan references to J&K at UN debate on peacekeeping AGENCIES NEW DELHI, 25 MARCH STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 MARCH India slammed Pakistan for making repeated references to Jammu and Kashmir at a UN debate on peacekeeping reforms, asserting that the region "was, is, and will always be an integral part of India". Speaking at the Security Council, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, snubbed the neighbouring country for attempting to "divert attention" from the core discussions on peacekeeping. "India is compelled to note that the delegate of Pakistan has yet again resorted to unwarranted remarks on the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Such repeated references neither validate their illegal claims nor justify their state-sponsored cross-border terrorism," the Indian diplomat said. He said Pakistan itself is illegally occupying a part of Jammu and Kashmir and must vacate the territory. "Pakistan continues to illegally occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate," he said, asserting that India would not allow its sovereignty to be questioned at global forums. Speaking about UN peacekeeping, the Indian diplomat also spoke about women's participation in this endeavour. BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 72.79 Mega budget 2025 NEW DELHI, 25 MARCH elhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday presented the newly-elected BJP government's maiden budget in the state Assembly, allocating Rs 1 lakh crore for the development of the national capital with a focus on women's safety, water supply and sanitation, infrastructure, and cleaning of the Yamuna river. The outlay is Rs 24,000 crore higher than the budget estimates of the previous year when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was in power, marking an increase of 31.58 per cent. Presenting the budget, the chief minister called it a "historic budget" and claimed that it marks the highest increase in budget allocation in the nation. “This is not an ordinary budget. Delhi and the whole country is watching this. They all have great hopes from the new government. The budget is not just an account or a ledger; it is a transformation from a bad economy to Viksit Delhi," she stated. She asserted that this is not just a budget document but a roadmap for making the national capital self-reliant. Following the BJP's victory in the 2025 Assembly elections, this is the first budget presented by the party's government in Delhi in over 26 years. Ms Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, alleged that P12 SILVER `1,01,000 The outlay is Rs 24,000 crore higher than the budget estimates of the previous year Min. 16 % Max: 37.1 °C (+5.6) SUN RISES 06:17 hrs MOON RISES 04:52 hrs NIFTY 23,668.65 p10.30 KKR, ROYALS AIM TO BOUNCE BACK TRUMP OFFICIALS TEXTED WAR PLANS TO A GROUP CHAT The ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs has identified and blocked more than 83,668 WhatsApp accounts and 3,962 Skype IDs used for 'Digital Arrest', Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Apart from this, over 7.81 lakh SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs have been blocked by the Government after receiving police complaints, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. A 'Digital Arrest', so-called, is a cybercrime where scammers impersonate law enforcement officials to falsely accuse individuals of crimes and extort money or personal information by threatening arrest or imprisonment. Since 2021, Mr Kumar said, a Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System for reporting financial frauds and stopping siphoning off funds by fraudsters has saved more than Rs 4,386 crore in more than 13.36 lakh complaints. Clarifying that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not separately compile or publish specific data regarding 'digital arrest' scams, the MoS said the MHA has set up the I4C as an attached office to deal with all types of cyber crimes in the country, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. Sharing details of avenues for citizens to report 'digital arrests' and other cyber crimes, he said the ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched, as a part of the I4C, to enable the public to report incidents pertaining to all types of cyber crimes. The Mos said cyber crime incidents reported on this portal, their conversion into FIRs and subsequent action thereon are handled by the State/UT Law Enforcement Agencies. He said the ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System’, under I4C, was launched in 2021 for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by the fraudsters. “So far, a financial amount of more than Rs 4,386 crore has been saved in more than 13.36 lakh complaints. A tollfree Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalised to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints,” he said. Highlighting initiatives for citizen awareness, he said the Central Government has a comprehensive awareness programme on digital arrest scams which, inter-alia, includes, newspaper advertisements, announcements in Delhi Metros, the use of social media influencers to create special posts, campaigns through Prasar Bharti and electronic media, and special programmes on Aakashvani. supremacy of Parliament, and whether we are at all relevant. If we effect an amendment in the Constitution, and that is not executable. If a constitutional amendment is not executable, I have no doubt the Parliament is possessed of the power. Any power...in any institution to ensure what emanated from the Indian Parliament, sanctified by a requisite number of State Legislatures, holds the field.'' He said the Upper House, keeping its dignity in mind, demonstrating dignified conduct, unanimously created a legal system in 2015, and that constitutional structure that emanated unanimously with one abstention from Parliament endorsed by state legislatures should be the rule of law because it was sanctified by the President by appending her signatures under Article 111. ''Now is the befitting occasion for all of us to reiterate that because that was a visionary step endorsed by Parliament. And imagine if that had taken place, things would have been different,'' he said. Seeking members' suggestions on a very important point,henoted:''Whatemanated from Indian Parliament as a historic development with rare convergence of unity since independence found acceptance by needed State Legislatures. We need to reflect on what happened to that.'' India, China agree to strengthen mechanism for peace along LAC STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 25 MARCH India and China, on Tuesday, agreed to maintain and strengthen relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms for maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held this afternoon in Beijing. The Indian delegation was led by Mr Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese delegation was headed by Mr. Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary & Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, the meeting comprehensively reviewed the situation along the LAC in the India-China border areas,” an official statement said. The two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) on the India-China boundary question in Beijing in December 2024 and to advance effective border management. They agreed to maintain and strengthen relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this end. They also exchanged views on early resumption of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including on trans-border rivers and Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. The two sides agreed to work together to make substantial preparation for the next meeting of the SRs, which will be held in India later this year.