SATURDAY 31 MAY 2025 www.thestatesman.com X.com/thestatesmanltd. Fb/thestatesman1875 SINCE 1818 Pages 12 |` 5.00 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR ‘PARTIES ALIGNING WITH BJP HAVEN'T DONE WELL’ TEJASHWI QUESTIONS PM’S SILENCE ON BIHAR’S CRISIS P5 SENSEX 81,451.01 q182.02 WEATHER Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of light to moderate rain/thundershower very likely to occur. GULVEER ISRAEL ACCEPTS US-BACKED COMPLETES TRUCE PLAN DOUBLE WITH 5000M GOLD P4 NIFTY 24,750.70 q82.90 ` vs $ 85.53 SILVER `99,900 GOLD `98,295 Mamata clarifies after Modi’s ‘misinformation’ at Alipurduar RELATIVE HUMIDITY STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Max. 98% KOLKATA, 30 MAY Min. 86% TEMPERATURE Max: 29.7˚C (-5.4) Min: 25.8˚C (-1.4) SUN SETS 18:16 hrs MOON SETS 20:56 hrs Full Moon on 11 June THUMBNAILS President Droupadi Murmu in a group picture with JP Nadda, Anupriya Patel, Prataprao Jadhav and the Awardee Nurses, during National Florence Nightingale Awards 2025, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. nANI Justice Varma indicted, 10 eyewitnesses confirmed cash among 55 questioned: A damning inquiry report by a Supreme Courtappointed three-judge panel has reportedly indicted Justice Yashwant Varma of the Allahabad High Court, confirming serious allegations of misconduct. The three-member committee, comprising Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice G. S. Sandhawalia, and Karnataka High Court Justice Anu Sivaraman, meticulously examined the evidence and testimony of 55 witnesses over several weeks, sources added. PM launches `96,000 cr projects in UP & Bihar A fter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Alipurduar yesterday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responded on her X handle, highlighting the significant contributions made by the West Bengal government toward the development of North Bengal. She directly addressed and rebutted what she described as the Prime Minister’s “misinformation.” She wrote, “Yesterday, a vicious and false campaign was carried out in Alipurduar in North Bengal, driven by a self-serving and politically motivated agenda aimed solely at gaining power. This campaign attempted to downplay and erase the substantial development work undertaken by our government in Alipurduar district. The falsehoods were propagated from the highest levels of authority, including the Hon'ble Prime Minister. Therefore, I wish to share some facts and data about our real, impactful initiatives that have benefited the people of Alipurduar.” To improve administrative accessibility, the government established Alipurduar as Bengal’s 20th district in June 2014. Since its inception, the district has witnessed significant development across sectors, with every resident benefiting from at least one state government scheme. In terms of infrastructure, the government inaugurated the model integrated administrative building 'Dooars Kanya.' Major strides have also been made in healthcare with the establishment of a Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Falakata, an AYUSH Hospital, a Nursing School, two Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCUs), seven Special Newborn Stabilization Units (SNSUs), three blood banks, and 207 wellness centres. The education sector has been strengthened through the establishment of Alipurduar University, a Government Engineering College, seven new government colleges, 15 primary schools, 52 upper primary schools, and 15 student hostels. Public amenities have been expanded to include six Kishan Mandis, three Sufal Bangla stalls, eight Karmatirthas, 560 Anganwadi centres, eight electric substations, a new super market in Falakata, a stadium, a Women’s Police Station, and 60 operational Bangla Sahayata Kendras (Citizen Service Centres). Social security initiatives have also seen major disbursements. More than ₹1,200 crore has been distributed through schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar (3.57 lakh beneficiaries), Kanyashree (5.72 lakh), Khadyasathi (12.91 lakh), Sabuj Sathi (2.54 lakh), Rupashree (46,000), Swasthya Sathi (over 4 lakh), Shikshashree (3.10 lakh), Aikyashree (2.05 lakh), and Taruner Swapna, under which 63,000 students received tablets. The Joy Johar Pension supports 15,396 people, Tapashili Bandhu Pension supports 29,486, Krishak Bandhu (New) benefits 95,000 farmers, Bangla Shasya Bima covers 1.18 lakh, and the Binamulye Samajik Suraksha Yojana reaches 2.75 lakh individuals. The government has also distributed over 37,000 land ownership pattas, including 17,072 land pattas, 12,614 refugee pattas, 6,397 forest pattas, and 1,127 Chaa Sundari pattas. Under the Jalswapna project, 2.11 lakh of the 3.65 lakh households in the district now have access to drinking water connections. Through the Banglar Bari scheme, ₹546.13 crore has been provided to 45,511 families for housing. The Karmashree initiative has generated 1.28 crore person-days of employment for 2.84 lakh people at a cost of around ₹300 crore. Connectivity in Alipurduar has improved with the construction of over 4,266 kilometers of roads, including rural roads under the Pathashree scheme, at a cost of approximately ₹4,000 crore. Fortyfive new bridges have been built over rivers such as Bala, Basra, Dima, Buritorsha, and Kumai, at a cost exceeding ₹150 crore. Additionally, a new bus stand has been constructed in Alipurduar at a cost of ₹28 crore. In the tea garden sector, the government has reopened eight of Alipurduar’s 61 closed tea gardens, raised worker wages to ₹250—the highest in the country—and provides financial aid, free ration, drinking water, electricity, and medical facilities to workers. Creches are also being set up to support female workers. Under the Chaa Sundari Project, houses have been built for 2,969 families, and 14,000 more have received financial assistance for home construction. Industrial development includes two upcoming industrial parks and the establishment of 14,105 MSME units, which have created over 38,000 jobs. Tourism has been boosted through tea tourism and two religious tourism circuits, along with the promotion of 74 registered homestays to generate local employment. STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE KANPUR/PATNA, 30 MAY Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a day packed with high-octane development announcements and strong national security messaging, launched infrastructure projects worth over 96,000 crore across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Addressing massive rallies in Kanpur and Bikramganj respectively, the Prime Minister reaffirmed India’s firm stance against terrorism, hailed the progress in indigenous defence manufacturing, and mounted a fierce attack on opposition parties over governance and social justice narratives. In Kanpur, PM Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated 15 major projects worth more than 47,600 crore, including the second phase of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project, featuring five new underground stations from Chunniganj to Kanpur Central. He also flagged off key energy projects, including three 660 MW power units in Ghatampur and thermal plants in Panki, Jawaharpur, Obra-C, and Khurja, along with new railway bridges to facilitate coal transport. Had Indian Navy joined India’s military action, Pak HM visits Poonch, distributes appointment would have been broken into pieces: Rajnath Singh letters to people affected by Pak shelling STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 MAY Applauding the Indian Navy's unmatched strength and its role in neutralising threats during Operation Sindoor, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday warned Pakistan, saying that had the naval force joined its sister forces in the active combat, Islamabad would have faced a worse outcome than in 1971. The minister was aboard India's first indigenously built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, currently deployed in the Arabian Sea. He reviewed its operational readiness. "Nineteen seventy-one is a witness to this, that when the Indian Navy came into action, Pakistan was divided from one to two. If the Indian Navy had come into action in Operation Sindoor, then Pakistan would not only have been divided into two parts, but I think it would have been divided into four parts," the Defence Minister asserted. He also commended the Indian Navy's silent but effective role in bottling up Pakistani naval assets, saying that their aggressive deploy- GDP to grow by 6.5 pc in financial year 2024-25 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 30 MAY Real GDP has been estimated to grow by 6.5 per cent in the Financial Year 2024-25 while the nominal GDP has witnessed a growth rate of 9.8 per cent, government said on Friday. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the Real GDP and Nominal GDP have been estimated to grow by 7.4 per cent and 10.8 per cent respectively in Q4. Real GDP is estimated to attain a level of Rs 187.97 lakh crore in FY25, against the First Revised Estimates of GDP for the FY24 of Rs 176.51 lakh crore. The Nominal GDP is estimated to attain a level of BRENT CRUDE (IN $) 62.72 CM asserted the state govt’s commitment to inclusive & holistic progress across all sectors RAINFALL: 010.1 mm SUN RISES 04:52 hrs MOON RISES 06:40 hrs P12 P9 Rs 330.68 lakh crore in FY25, against Rs 301.23 lakh crore in FY24. Real Gross Value Addeed (GVA) is estimated at Rs 171.87 lakh crore in the FY25, against Rs 161.51 lakh crore in FY24, registering a growth rate of 6.4 per cent. Nominal GVA is estimated to attain a level of Rs 300.22 lakh crore during FY25, against Rs 274.13 lakh crore in FY24, showing a growth rate of 9.5 per cent. According to the NSO data, the Construction sector is estimated to record a growth rate of 9.4 per cent in FY 202425, followed by 8.9 per cent growth rate in Public Administration, Defence & Other Services sector and 7.2 per cent growth rate in Financial, Real Estate & Professional Services sector. ment, maritime dominance, and high state of preparedness prevented Pakistan from challenging Indian interests at sea and kept its naval assets confined to their own shores. "During Operation Sindoor, the Indian Navy has impressed every Indian with its silent service. Despite remaining silent, the Indian Navy succeeded in tying down the Pakistani Army," he said. "The role of the Navy in this entire integrated operation has been glorious. During Operation Sindoor, when the Air Force destroyed the terror bases on Pakistani soil, your aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, unmatched maritime domain awareness and maritime supremacy confined the Pakistani Navy to its own shores. They could not even muster the courage to come into the open sea," the minister added. The Union Minister underlined the Navy's forward presence, saying its precision firing drills sent a strong strategic signal to Pakistani forces. NEW DELHI, 30 MAY Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday visited Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch region to meet people living in the bordering villages who were severely affected by cross border shelling during the recent heightened security crisis between India and Pakistan. To help the affected families, the Minister also distributed job appointment letters to the next of kin of civilians, killed during the attacks. "Pakistan targeted the civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir, and Poonch suffered the most damage. For the first time, firing was done on Poonch post-independence. The entire world is condemning the attack by Pakistan. The Indian Armed Forces gave a befitting reply by destroying nine Pakistani air bases, and as a result, they had to come forward for ceasefire,” he told people while interacting with them. Talking about India’s Operation Sindoor, the Minister said that on the night of May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces conducted a decisive operation, destroying terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It was India’s "befitting reply" to terrorists that killed hundreds of terrorists. "On the night of May 7, we destroyed the terrorist sites in Pakistan and PoK. This was a befitting reply given to terrorists on behalf of the crores of Indians. Hundreds of terrorists were killed in the operation. We launched an attack on terrorists, but Pakistan considered it an attack on itself. They showed the world that they are the ones who are sheltering terrorists,” he added. " We have sent a message that India will not tolerate any attack on innocent civilians, Indian Armed Forces, and every attack will be responded to with more precision and accuracy,” the minister said. Ankita Bhandari murder case: All 3 accused sentenced to life imprisonment PR SINGH DEHRADUN, 30 MAY The much talked about Ankita Bhandari murder case was concluded on Friday as all three accused were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court after nearly three years of trial. The 19-year-old girl, who worked as a receptionist at a resort in Yamkeshwar Block of district Pauri, was killed and thrown into the Ganga Canal in September 2022. The Additional District Judge (ADJ) and Sessions Court Kotdwar, Pauri pronounced its verdict and sentenced life imprisonment to the three accused including resort owner Pulkit Arya and his employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta in the murder case. The court convicted the accused men guilty under sections 302, 201, and 354 of the IPC. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each and ordered to pay ₹4 lakh to Ankita's family. Hearing of the case was concluded on May 19 with final arguments of Special Public Prosecutor Avnish Negi in response to the defence lawyer's last effort to defend the accused men before the court. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court finalised May 30 as the date for the pronouncement of the judgement. The case trial began in the Additional District Judge and Sessions Court Kotdwar on January 30, 2023, owing to a 500-page chargesheet filed by the prosecution following an SIT probe report presented to the government. Ankita,19, was allegedly murdered by the illegally run Vanantra Resort owner and his two employees in September 2022 in Rishikesh. Her body was recovered from Chilla Barrage Ganga Canal after nearly a week. According to allegations, the main accused Pulkit Arya, (son of the BJP leader from Haridwar Vinod Arya), and his coaccused tried to force the victim girl for sexual favours to the VIP clients of the resort. However, the names of the VIPs were never revealed in the investigation. The chargesheet was filed by the prosecution against three accused including resort owner Pulkit Arya and his employees Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta. The witness testimony by the court was started from March 28, 2023. Around 47 witnesses were examined by the prosecution during the hearing that lasted for about two years and eight months. The SIT had named 97 witnesses in its probe report but only 47 were produced in the court. Notably, the death of the girl triggered a huge public outcry across the state, especially the way she was killed. People protested in several parts of the state demanding capital punishment for the accused men. Speaking in a local Kanpuriya dialect, Modi declared: "Dushman kahi bhi ho, hauk diya jayege" (Enemies will be finished anywhere), underscoring the government's unwavering resolve to combat terrorism. Referring to the recent Operation Sindoor, he asserted that India’s armed forces penetrated deep into terrorist hideouts across the border, forcing Pakistan’s army to plead for a ceasefire. “Operation Sindoor is not over yet,” he warned, emphasizing continued vigilance. Modi’s visit to Kanpur also included a poignant meeting with the family of Shubham Dwivedi, a martyr of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, whose daughter Anshanya became a symbol of national grief and resilience. “The entire country felt the pain of our daughters. Our soldiers responded with unmatched might, demonstrating the power of a new India,” the PM said, visibly moved. PM Modi also highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s emergence as a hub for indigenous defence manufacturing, noting the transformation of seven traditional ordnance factories into modern defence firms. He cited the AK-203 rifle production in Amethi and the relocation of BrahMos missile manufacturing to the state as pivotal in reducing dependency on imports. “Self-reliance in defence is essential not just for our economy but for the self-esteem of the nation,” he added. SC directs Ajay Shukla to take down video on its senior judge PARMOD KUMAR NEW DELHI, 30 MAY The Supreme Court on Friday initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against Chandigarh-based journalist Ajay Shukla for uploading a video containing scandalous allegations against a senior judge of the top court, and ordered that the objectionable video be taken down forthwith. A bench comprising Chief Justice BR Gavai, Justice Augustine George Masih, and Justice Atul S Chandurkar, by an interim order, restrained Shukla’s digital platform, The Principle—run by Varprad Media India Pvt Ltd—from further publishing or circulating the contentious video. “We direct the Registry to register the case as suo motu contempt against Ajay Shukla. The YouTube channel shall be made a party respondent. The Attorney General and Solicitor General are requested to assist the Court,” the order stated. The Court noted that prima facie the video made “scandalous observations” about one of its senior judges and said such content, if left unchecked, would “bring disrepute to the august institution of the judiciary.” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing before the bench, described the matter as “very serious” and welcomed the Court’s decision to take cognisance. Citing Article 19(1)(a), the bench stated that the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, but underlined that such rights are subject to reasonable restrictions and cannot be extended to defame judges or cast aspersions on the judiciary.