MONDAY 07 APRIL 2025 www.thestatesman.com SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 | LC X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR GOVERNMENT UNVEILS `10,000-CR DEEPTECH FUND, HELPLINE ‘PM SHOULD ALLAY TN DELIMITATION FEARS’ P10 P4 WEATHER Generally clear. Nearby storms may bring lightning, gusty winds. Maximum and minimum temperatures likely to be around 36°C and 27°C respectively. P6 TN has enhanced financial allocation, yet some cry for more: Modi M C RAJAN Max. 78% Min. 58% RAMESWARAM, 6 APRIL Min: 27.3˚C SUN SETS 17:59 hrs MOON SETS 02:05 hrs I TEMPERATURE Full Moon on 13 April THUMBNAILS Devotees carrying flags of Lord Ram take part in a bike rally during a procession marking the Ram Navami festival, in Kolkata on Sunday. n ANI Vowing to fight again, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal ends 132-day-long fast: Vowing to fight again to resume “morcha” for farmers’ rights, at right time, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, 70, on Sunday announced to end his 132day-long fast onto death, but said he would continue leading the protest over the demands of the farmers, including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. (Page 5) P12 PM Modi inaugurates ‘Bengal achieved 11.43 pc GST collection growth in 2024-25’ iconic Pamban Bridge RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max: 36.2˚C SUN RISES 05:23 hrs MOON RISES 13:11 hrs GILL, SIRAJ STAR AS GUJARAT CRUSH HYDERABAD TRADE WARS n a veiled but sharp attack on the ruling DMK’s persistent charge that the BJPled Union government is neglecting Tamil Nadu in financial allocation and devolution from the central pool, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said though the state had received more funds in the last 10 years than ever, some continue to ‘cry’ for more. “Let them continue crying, they can only cry” Mr Modi said without naming the DMK, while inaugurating the iconic Pamban Railway Bridge and launching new projects worth Rs 8,300 crore at the pilgrim town Rameswaram, an islet. Countering the charge, he claimed that the Union government had tripled the allocation of funds for various infrastructure and developmental projects. Funding for Railways had indeed increased seven-fold in the last decade, the Prime Minister pointed out. “You know who were in alliance before 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to an Indian Coast Guard ship during the inauguration of New Pamban Bridge, India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, on the occasion of Ram Navami at Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram on Sunday. n ANI and what Tamil Nadu got then,” he said, debunking the charge that the state is being neglected. “Tamil Nadu plays a significant role in India’s growth trajectory towards becoming a developed nation. As Tamil Nadu’s potential grows, the nation’s growth gets accelerated furthermore,” he said adding that increased funding had greatly contributed to the country’s industrial and economic advancement. Infrastructural development of Tamil Nadu M S Dhoni breaks silence on IPL retirement speculation is a top priority for the Union government, he said adding that funding for development of railways in the state had increased seven-fold to blunt the criticism that the state had been given a raw deal in the current Union Budget. Prior to 2014, the state had been allocated Rs 900 crore annually whereas this year the allocation for railways for Tamil Nadu had exceeded Rs 6000 crore, he said and listed the various schemes under which the state had benefitted. True to his style, the Prime Minister who arrived from Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka by chopper, was dressed in the ethnic Tamil attire of a silk dhoti and shirt with a long towel. The occasion being Ram Navami, he chanted aloud ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and the crowd too responded. “Lord Rama’s Blessings will be with us,” he said adding that he had the darshan of the ‘Ram Setu’, the limestone shoals in the Palk Strait between Rameswaram and Mannar island, in northern Sri Lanka, believed to be the remnants of the mythical bridge built by lord Ram, also called as Adam’s bridge. The Prime Minister also offered worship at the famed Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy temple. With the Chief Minister on an official visit to the Nilgiris, the Prime Minister was welcomed at the helipad by Governor RN Ravi and Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu among others, including BJP state president K Annamalai. In a post on the X social media platform, the Chief Minister said: „Glad to share that West Bengal is steadily progressing in its own resource mobilisation efforts, which is evident from the fiscal results compiled at the end of the FY 2024-25." AGENCIES KOLKATA, 6 APRIL Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday that the state achieved a growth of 11.43 per cent in GST collection for the financial year 2024-25, two per cent higher than the national growth figure. In a post on the X social media platform, the Chief Minister said: “Glad to share that West Bengal is steadily progressing in its own resource mobilisation efforts, which is evident from the fiscal results compiled at the end of the FY 2024-25." She stated that Bengal collected Rs 4,808 crore more in GST during 202425 than in the previous year. “In GST in 24-25, we have collected Rs. 4808 crore more than the preceding year, which shows 11.43 per cent growth. This is 2 per cent more than the national level (9.44 per cent), and is demonstrative of our increasing internal financial strength,” she said. She added that the state collected Rs 1,908 crore in registration and stamp duty in 2024-25, which is a remarkable 31.05 per cent increase from the previous year. “In registration and stamp duty, the number of deeds registered has increased by 60 thousand, which shows dynamism of our market. The collection in 24-25 has been Rs 1,908 crore more than the previous year,which is a growth of 31.05 per cent,” she said. “All this shows that we believe in self-reliance and fiscal discipline, and our administration is serious in streamlining the State finances for the welfare of the people of Bengal,” Miss Banerjee said. On Friday, Miss Banerjee had noted that the staterun West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) has been ranked as the best-performing power generation company in the country for 2024-25 by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). In a post on X, CM Mamata said: "We are the Best, yet again!! The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Govt. of India, has just announced the annual ranking of all the 201 thermal power plants in the country, based on operational efficiency (PLF - Plant Load Factor) parameters." Former Kerala Minister MA Baby elected as General Secy of CPI-M DEVOTION IN MOTION STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 APRIL Chennai Super Kings veteran and former India captain MS Dhoni on Sunday addressed the rumours speculating on his calling time on his Indian Premier League (IPL) career, indicating that he is not quite ready yet to hang up his gloves. In a new podcast with Raj Shamani, Dhoni said that he is not going to make up his mind about ending his playing career anytime soon. “I am 43. By the time IPL 2025 ends, I’ll be 44,” Dhoni said. “Then I’ll have ten months to assess. One year at a time. That’s how I’m taking it.” Speculations over Dhoni's retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) have been rife ever since the Chennai Super Kings' clash with the Delhi Capitals on Saturday. His parents were spotted STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE CHENNAI, 6 APRIL at the MA Chidambaram Stadium stands, and a video clip in which his wife Sakshi appears to say the words "last match" to their daughter Ziva sent social media into overdrive. “Not me deciding, it’s my body that decides,” Dhoni said. “I’ll see how my body feels eight to ten months after this IPL. If I feel fine, I’ll go again.” With Dhoni performing particularly poorly with the bat, many had felt that this season is likely to be his last for CSK as a player. Though Dhoni has only been dismissed once in four matches in this campaign, he hasn't succeeded in finishing even a single innings on a strong note. In the match against Delhi Capitals, Dhoni could only score a 26-ball 30 as the Super Kings succumbed to a 50-run loss. Devotees take part in a procession on the occasion of the Ram Navami festival, in East Midnapore on Sunday. n ANI Women own 39.2 per cent of all bank accounts, higher in rural areas at 42.2 per cent: MoSPI STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 6 APRIL In an interesting revelation, government data shows that women own 39.2 per cent of all bank accounts in the country and contribute 39.7 per cent of total deposits. Their participation is highest in rural areas, where they make up 42.2 per cent of account holders. The Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry (MoSPI) released the 26th edition of its publication titled Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Data on Sunday. It also noted that there is a rise in demat accounts over the years, indicating growing participation in the stock market. From 31 March 2021 to 30 November 2024, the total number of demat accounts increased from 33.26 million to 143.02 million, marking more than a fourfold rise. Male account holders have consistently outnumbered female account holders, but female participation has also shown a growing trend, the MoSPI data said. The number of accounts held by males rose from 26.59 million in 2021 to 115.31 million in 2024, while accounts held by females increased from 6.67 million to 27.71 million during the same period. Another interesting revelation by the MoSPI was in terms of female-headed proprietary establishments. It said there has been a rising percentage of female-headed proprietary establishments across manufacturing, trade, and other services sectors over the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 202324 has been observed. Further, over the years, there has been an increase in the number of startups recognised by DPIIT with at least one-woman director, reflecting a positive trend in female entrepreneurship. The total number of such startups rose from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024, it said. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LPFR) in usual status for ages 15 years and above has improved from 49.8 per cent (2017-18) to 60.1 per cent (2023-24). The MoSPI publication offers a comprehensive overview of the gender landscape in India, presenting selected indicators and data across key areas like population, education, health, economic participation, and decision-making, all sourced from various ministries, departments and organisations. Madhya Pradesh forest department driver removed for providing water to cheetahs STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BHOPAL, 6 APRIL A Madhya Pradesh Forest Department driver’s gesture of providing water to five thirsty cheetahs in sweltering heat, termed ‘heartwarming’ by many, turned out to be costly for him, as he was reprimanded and removed from duty by his department. The youth, Satyanarayan Gurjar, was engaged as a private driver with a cheetah monitoring team of the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district. A video had surfaced on Saturday, showing Gurjar pouring water from a jerry can into a steel saucer for five cheetahs sitting just a few feet away from him. The cheetah family included female Namibian cheetah Jwala and her four cubs. The five had recently been released into the wild from their enclosure in the National Park. In the video, all five felines are seen walking up to Gurjar and peacefully drinking water from the plate. The video was shot near a village on the outskirts of the National Park. Gurjar was the driver of the vehicle in which a forest department team was tracking the movement of the cheetah family in the wild. After the video went viral, a majority of viewers termed Gurjar’s act as ‘loving’ and ‘heartwarming’ and one that pointed towards the peaceful co-existence of cheetahs and humans in the area. However, forest department officials took the matter in a different light and ordered Gurjar’s removal from the post. Ever since some cheetahs were released in the wild, the National Park officials have been urging people to stay away from the felines and let them roam in the wild peacefully. However, when their own driver went too close to the cheetahs to offer them water, and the big cats too reacted without any fear or anger, the forest officials apprehend that such behaviour could pose a risk of the cheetahs becoming too comfortable in human presence, which could increase the risk of cheetahs straying into human settlements, eventually resulting in increased incidents of human-cheetah conflicts Former Kerala Education and Culture Minister MA Baby has been elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at its 24th Party Congress in Madurai in place of late Sitaram Yechury. He will hold the office for the next three years. This is the second time a leader from Kerala has been elected to the top party post, decades after the late Marxist ideologue EMS Namboothiripad, who headed the first democratically elected Communist government. Baby’s election proved futile speculation that the next general secretary could be from West Bengal. Building the party’s independent strength and consolidating Leftist forces were the primary tasks, with the aim of defeating the ‘neofascist’ BJP, Baby said on being elected to the post. “We don’t want to conceal the decline in our strength. We will not be able to do course correction if we fail to address what caused the decline,” he said, adding that the party would build alliances with opposition parties according to the situation obtaining in each state. About poll-bound Kerala, where the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front is in power, he said the aim was to retain power for a third term. An 85-member Central Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, was also elected at the Congress. There are 30 new faces in the Central Committee, which has 20 per cent women representation. (See Page 4)