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 | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Thursday, 16 October 2025 SPORTS WORLD Returned body not that of hostage: Israel EDITORIAL NATION Jaisalmer bus tragedy: What made the fourth trip deadly? Rebuilding Bridges Page 6 BRIEFLY Former Kenyan PM dies in Kerala: Page 5 Page 9 Siliguri, 15 October Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga died in Kerala's Koothattukukam following a cardiac arrest on Wednesday. He was 80. Odinga had been undergoing Ayurvedic treatment at Sreedhareeyam Hospital at Koothattukukam in Kerala's Ernakulam district. The hospital authorities said Odingo collapsed during his morning walk. Though he was suddenly taken to a nearby hospital, his life could not be saved. The death occurred around 9 a.m. PM Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Odinga, describing him as a towering statesman and a cherished friend of India. C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday made a passionate appeal to “break the dam and let the rivers flow free,” as she sharply criticised the Central government’s approach to river management and the construction of dams across several rivers, which she said were causing natural calamities in North Bengal and beyond. The chief minister was chairing an administrative review meeting in Darjeeling to assess the widespread devastation caused by recent floods and landslides in Darje eling , Kalimp ong , Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and parts of Cooch Behar. Miss Banerjee said she had gone through a report by legendary scientist Meghnath Saha, who had argued against CM Mamata Banerjee visits a relief camp for landslides-affected people, at Mirik in Darjeeling district on Tuesday. SNS the need for large dams. “What is the need for a dam?” she asked. “In summer, the dam stores water, but we get none for irrigation. In the monsoon, when the rivers are full, the DVC releases the water, flooding Bengal. What logic is this?” She stressed that unless a long-term dredging plan is implemented across the riverbeds linked with DVC, the Kolkata and Haldia Ports, and even the Ganga, the state 75 pc of PF amount can be withdrawn immediately after job loss, govt clarifies STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 15 October In the wake of ongoing debates and confusion over the new r ules pertaining to EPF withdrawals, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday clarified that up to 75 per cent of the Provident Fund amount can be immediately withdrawn in case of job loss. He also stated that the remaining 25 per cent, which has now been categorised as mandatory minimum balance, can also be withdrawn after completion of one year. On Monday, the Union Minister had announced several changes with regard to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF). In a meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), EPF, chaired by Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs, and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, it was decided to "simplify and liberalise partial withdrawals to enhance member convenience and retirement security". However, the decisions led to a backlash, with some Opposition politicians and financial journalists as well as members of the online community criticising the changes. Some of the decisions were described as 'anti-members', as they delayed access to PF funds in case of unemployment. The key decisions announced via a statement on 13 October included merger of 13 complex provisions into a single, streamlined rule categorised into three types namely, Essential Needs (illness, education, marriage), Housing Needs and Special Circumstances, for partial withdrawals of EPF balance. It was also decided that education withdrawals would be allowed up to 10 times and marriage up to 5 times, from the existing limit of a total of 3 partial withdrawals for marriage and education. The requirement of minimum service was reduced to 12 months for all partial withdrawals. will continue to face disaster after disaster. “If there is no plan for dredging,” she declared firmly, “then break the dam, tear down the barrier. Let the rivers flow in their own way ~ let nature breathe again.” Turning her focus to Bhutan, the Chief Minister pointed out that uncontrolled water discharge from across the border has repeatedly devastated large parts of North Bengal, especially Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and SC allows limited use of green crackers in Delhi-NCR PARMOD KUMAR New Delhi, 15 October The Supreme Court on Wednesday eased its earlier blanket prohibition on f irecrackers in the Delhi–National Capital Region (NCR), allowing the sale and controlled bursting of green crackers for two days during Diwali under strictly regulated conditions. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran permitted the sale of certified green firecrackers between 18 and 20 October, specifying that their bursting will only be allowed between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m, and 8 p.m. and 10 p.m, on Diwali eve and Diwali day. Apex court suggests option of lethal injection for death row convicts UNITED NEWS OF INDIA New Delhi, 15 October The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the Union Government’s resistance to evolve with time, after it opposed a suggestion that death row convicts be allowed to choose lethal injection as an alternative to execution by hanging. A Bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to abolish the practice of execution by hanging, terming it a method that causes “prolonged pain and suffering”. The plea suggests replacing it with intravenous lethal injection, or alternatively, shooting, electrocution, or a gas chamber, as more humane methods. During the hearing, the Bench noted that despite Page 12 Break the dam & let the rivers flow, says Mamata MANAS R BANNERJEE The problem is, the govt is not ready to evolve... It’s a very old procedure. Things have changed over a period of time. advances in science and global practices, the union remains firm on continuing the traditional method of hanging. Justice Mehta observed, “The problem is, the government is not ready to evolve... It’s a very old procedure. Things have changed over a period of time.” The suggestion before the Court was that an option should be given to condemned prisoners to choose between hanging and lethal injection. However, Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur, appearing for the Union, referred to the government’s counter affidavit, which stated that granting such an option may not be “feasible” and that the matter involved a policy decision. Following this, the Court adjourned the hearing to 11 November. The petitioner, Advocate Rishi Malhotra, argued that 49 out of 50 US states have adopted lethal injection as a mode of execution, calling it “quick, humane, and decent,” as opposed to hanging, which he described as “cruel, barbaric, and lingering.” He submitted: “At least give an option to the condemned prisoner, lethal injection is quick and dignified, whereas in hanging, the body lingers on the rope for up to 40 minutes.” In March 2023, the Supreme Court considered forming an expert committee and sought data from the Attorney General on the pain, duration, and physiological impact of hanging. The PIL challenges Section 354(5) of the CrPC, which mandates that a person sentenced to death shall be “hanged by the neck till dead.” The petitioner contends that the provision is discriminatory and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, including the right to die with dignity. adjoining areas. She directed Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to immediately nominate a representative from West Bengal to attend the upcoming Indo-Bhutan meeting on natural disasters. The state’s representative, she said, must firmly raise the issue of flood-induced losses in Bengal and seek both compensation and preventive measures from Bhutan. “The people of North Bengal are suffering because floodwaters from Bhutan are flowing into our plains. The issue must be addressed diplomatically and practically,” she said, adding that the matter was no longer just administrative but humanitarian in nature. The Chief Minister also expressed serious concern over the environmental vulnerability of Sikkim, which she said has become a “ticking time bomb” because of the Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav gain big in Test rankings rapid construction of hydropower projects. “A total of 14 hydropower projects have been set up in Sikkim. They don’t understand that you can’t play with nature,” she warned. “If you play with nature, it will retaliate one day. Global climate patterns are changing, and we are exploiting the environment beyond its limits.” “I am afraid for Sikkim. Any time there could be a disaster like Uttarakhand. The hills are fragile, landslides frequent, and the region is earthquake-prone. This is a big problem ~ not only for Sikkim but for the entire Eastern Himalayas.” Miss Banerjee also mentioned that a comprehensive geological survey has already been completed in the hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. “I will personally study the report soon to plan preventive measures,” she said. LWE influence shrinks, only 3 ‘most-affected’ districts: Central govt AGENCIES New Delhi, 15 October The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday said that the number of districts classified as "most affected" by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has fallen to just three from six. According to the MHA data, only Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh now remain in the "most affected" category. The number of districts classified as LWE-affected overall has also seen a sharp decline, from 18 to 11, marking a significant contraction in the geographical spread of Maoist influence. The Ministry noted that the Union government has set an target to completely eradicate the LWE menace by 31 March 2026. Additionally, the MHA stated that 836 cadres have been arrested, while 1,639 have surrendered and joined the mainstream, including one Politburo member and one Central Committee member. The Centre attributed this success to the effective implementation of the National Action Plan and Policy, which follows a multi-pronged approach combining security operations, development initiatives, and improved coordination between central and state agencies. The plan emphasises intelligence-based, people-friendly counter-LWE op erations, swift area domination, targeting of senior leaders and overground workers, countering extremist ideology, infrastr ucture development, and financial choke points.