06012021-TT-01.qxd 1/5/2021 10:53 PM Page 1 13 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | vol.141 no.6 | 12 pages | ~5.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2021-2023 established in 1881  himachal pradesh STEP UP TRAINING, XI TELLS MILITARY WORLD /thetribunechd EXIM BANK RAISES $1 BILLION VIA 10-YEAR BOND ISSUE BUSINESS WILL DOUBLE NATURAL GAS SHARE: PM BACK PAGE /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com wednesday | 6 january 2021 Vaccine rollout by Jan13 SC approves Central Vista 30 cr to get shots on priority | Open to export of Covishield, Covaxin: Govt Aditi Tandon LOGISTICS IN PLACE Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 5 India’s Covid-19 vaccine delivery plan gathered pace on Tuesday with the Centre saying it was ready for a rollout by January 13. In first indications of Covid jabs being days away, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “We are ready to roll out Covid vaccines within 10 days of the grant of emergency use authorisation (EUA). The Drug Controller gave the EUA to the vaccines on January 3. The final call on the date of the rollout will be taken by the government.” The 10-day period ends on January 13 with clear indications that the Health Ministry was geared to administer shots to 30 crore in priority groups, including one crore health workers, two crore frontline workers and 27 crore people aged 50 and above and those below 50 with comorbid conditions. The logistics are in place, the government said, citing four national-level vaccine cold storage depots at Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata and 37 state-level storage sites. The national depots will store the vaccines for further distribution to state depots and later cover Need guidelines for Indo-Pacific: Outgoing US envoy NEW DELHI: Emphasising the need to build guidelines and if necessary, “red lines” for the Info-Pacific region, outgoing US Ambassador to India Ken Juster said on Tuesday that such an endeavour would enable all countries in the region to prosper. In his farewell speech, he said the Indo-Pacific region needed stability and democratic governance, for which India was important. — PTI IN BRIEF Alex appointed UK High Commissioner LONDON: Alex Ellis, a strategic expert, will take charge as the new UK High Commissioner to India later this month. The 53-year-old civil servant has been serving as Deputy NSA in the UK Cabinet Office. He will succeed Sir Philip Barton, who moved back to the UK last year. — PTI WB sports minister quits, may join BJP KOLKATA: West Bengal MoS (Sports) Laxmi Ratan Shukla resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday, triggering speculations about his joining the BJP CM Mamata Banerjee, . however, said Shukla, a reputed cricketer, wrote to her saying he wanted to be relieved as he wanted to focus on sporting activities. — TNS Chargesheet filed in gold smuggling case NEW DELHI: The NIA on Tues- day filed a chargesheet against 20 accused in the most talked-about case of gold smuggling through diplomatic channels at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. Submitted in 180 days of first arrest, the chargesheet is valid under UAPA. BACK PAGE ■ Four national-level vaccine cold storage depots at Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata; there are 37 statelevel storage sites ■ 29,000 cold storage sites to distribute vaccines to primary health centres and other sites where shots will be given SII, BHARAT BIOTECH PLEDGE SMOOTH RUN In a show of solidarity, Adar Poonawalla and Krishna Ella, jointly on behalf of Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech, on Tuesday communicated their intent to develop and supply the vaccines for India and the world. “Both our companies consider it our duty to the nation and world at large to ensure a smooth rollout,” they said. A health worker takes part in a dry run in Noida on Tuesday. PTI COVID-19CASES INDIA CRISIS AT HOME, UK PM CANCELS VISIT New Delhi: UK PM Boris Johnson has cancelled his visit to India for Republic Day in order to oversee the pandemic response at home, an announcement from Downing Street said. Johnson also called up PM Narendra Modi to regret inability to attend the event in view of lockdown in his country. BACK PAGE all 29,000 cold storage sites from where the vaccines will be transported in temperature-monitored equipment to primary health centres and the other sites where the shots will be administered. Health and frontline workers would not have to self-register on Co-WIN, the digital vaccine delivery platform, Bhushan said, COUNT RECOVERED 99,75,958 FRESH FATALITIES 201 TOTAL DEATHS 1,49,850 1,03,56,844 TOTAL RECOVERED DEATHS WORLD 8,62,99,543 6,12,28,684 18,64,996 adding that the vaccine dry runs were successful and vaccinators trained in handling adverse events following immunisation. continued on page 9 project,says meets norms Justice Sanjiv Khanna delivers dissenting verdict Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 5 The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the Central Vista redevelopment project that included construction of a new Parliament building and a common Central Secretariat, with certain conditions. By a 2:1 majority, a threejudge Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar held that there were no infirmities in the clearances given for the project, including those with regard to change in the land use, environmental clearances and selection of consultant. “We cannot be called upon to govern. For, we have no wherewithal or prowess and expertise in that regard,” the majority verdict by Justice Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari said. However, it asked the Centre to get necessary prior permission of the heritage conservation committee “before actually starting any development/redevelopment work on the stated plots/structures/precincts governed by the heritage laws, including on plot number 118, if already not obtained”. The top court directed the project proponent to set up 2:1 JUDGMENT IT’S A WASTE: CONG A three-judge Bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, by 2:1 majority, held that the grant of environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for construction of new Parliament building under the Central Vista project was valid. While Congress termed the project a “misplaced priority”, Union Minister Hardeep Puri accused it of “selective amnesia”. He tweeted a 2012 letter by LS Speaker’s office to the Urban Development Ministry flagging the need for a new Parliament building. A MODEL OF THE PROPOSED PARLIAMENT BUILDING. smog towers of adequate capacity as an integral part of the new Parliament building project and use smog guns at the construction site throughout the construction phase. It also asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests to instal smog towers in future projects. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, who delivered a dissenting verdict, held the change in land use and green clearances given to the project were bad in law, even as he said, “Our interference does not reflect on merits of the stands, but is on account of procedural illegalities and failure to abide the statutory provisions and mandate.” Last month, the Bench had expressed displeasure over the Centre going ahead with the project without waiting for its verdict. However, it had allowed the stone-laying on December 10. The SC noted, “The petitioners have not pointed out a single document which formed a part of the process and was not placed in public domain.” edit: Clearance for Central Vista Parl session from Jan 29, Budget on February 1 New Delhi, January 5 The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) on Tuesday recommended that the Budget Session of Parliament be held from January 29 until April 8 with a recess in between. The recommendation is to hold the first part of the session from January 29 to February 15 and the post-recess part from March 8 to April 8. The Union Budget is to be presented on February 1. The CCPA met today under Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. With the recommendations, the stage is set for the sharpening of the Opposition’s offensive against the government on the farmers’ agitation and the delivery of Covid vaccines. There was no winter session in 2020 with the Congress saying it was unprecedented to dispense with the session. — TNS Unions to step up stir, tractor march tomorrow HC junks plea over Tribune News Service Panipat, January 5 The farmers’ unions today deferred their tractor march from January 6 to January 7 due to a bad weather forecast even as they asserted they would intensify their stir in the coming days. Thousands of farmers will take out the tractor march from all protest sites — Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Shahjahanpur (HaryanaRajasthan border) — and the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway. Addressing a press conference at Kundli, Yogendra Yadav, convener, Swaraj India, said they had decided to take out a tractor march on January 7, which would be a “trailer for what lies ahead on January 26”. “We have decided to intensify and broaden our movement. The march will begin from the expressway on all four sides of Delhi at 11 am on Thursday,” he said. The farmers will start the march from Kundli and Tikri towards Shahjahanpur and from Ghazipur and Rewasan towards Palwal. As part of its plan to intensify agitation against the BJP LEADERS FROM PUNJAB MEET PM Capt’s 2002 election Saurabh Malik New Delhi: BJP leaders from Punjab on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here amid protests by farmers at Delhi’s borders. BJP leaders Surjit Kumar Jyani, who is also a former Punjab minister, and Harjit Singh Grewal met the PM at his residence. Later, Grewal said their meeting was about Punjab-related issues. COLD WAVE, SHOWERS FAIL TO DETER FARMERS Farmers take cover from rain during their ongoing protest at Ghazipur border. MANAS RANJAN BHUI ACTION TAKEN TO PROTECT RELIANCE ASSETS, PUNJAB TELLS HC Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has claimed it had taken action to protect assets of Reliance Jio. It said the task of the state agencies would become easier if the petitioner-company shared information on alleged vested interest involved in sabotaging and damaging its network infrastructure. three farm laws, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha had already announced to hold a “tractor parade” in New Delhi after the official parade on the Republic Day. Darshan Pal, president, Krantikari Kisan Union, said their agitation plan included boycott of Adani and Ambani products, burning copies of the laws on Lohri, observing Mahila Kisan Diwas on January 18 and Azad Hind Kisan Diwas on January 23 on the occasion of birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other states have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding repeal of farm laws and a legal guarantee on MSP All India Kisan Sang. harsh Coordination Committee leader Avik Saha said the government claimed that 50 Karnal: Bone-chilling weather coupled with rain and wind has failed to dampen the spirits of farmers, who have been protesting at Bastara toll plaza on NH-44 and Peont toll plaza on Karnal-Jind NH-709A since December 25. Amid the harsh weather, the farmers continued their dharna on Tuesday and said they won’t call it off till their demands were met. per cent of demands of farmers had been met, but repeal of the laws had been the primary demand since day one. “The government has not shared any document which clarifies what it has agreed to and how it will implement it,” he said. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 5 The allegation of corrupt practice was in nature of a criminal charge and required to be proven beyond the shadow of reasonable doubt, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today ruled as it dismissed the oldest pending petition against Capt Amarinder Singh’s 18-yearold election from the Patiala Assembly constituency. The petition placed before Justice Daya Chaudhary’s Bench was filed in 2002 by Harkirat Singh — a voter in the constituency. It was initially dismissed in December 2005, but was remanded back by the Supreme Court on a plea against the High Court verdict. Justice Chaudhary held the mere presence of a gazetted officer at a press conference Says allegation of corrupt practice not proven did not prove a corrupt practice as envisaged under Section 123(7) of the Representation of Peoples Act. Justice Chaudhary added the petitioner failed to prove that the press conference organised by former media adviser Bharat Inder Singh Chahal was held for furtherance of Capt Amarinder’s election prospects. ‘CAN PUBLISH ABSCONDERS’ NAMES ON NET’ The Punjab and Haryana HC has made it clear there was no harm in publishing the names of absconders on the Internet. Justice Amol Rattan Singh asserted the Punjab Police Rules were promulgated in 1934, when there was no Internet. The only social media available at that time was newspapers and magazines. “The court would see no harm in extending the publishing of the names... on social media as is now available via Internet, etc.,” the HC said. HP lifts curfew in 4 dists, Pb singer ‘targets’ cops in video, lands behind bars allows coaching classes Shree Brar to be grilled in a murder case, say police MOOSEWALA FAILS TO Shimla, January 5 With Covid cases showing a decline in the state, the Himachal Pradesh Government today decided to lift night curfew in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Kangra districts from tomorrow. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. The Cabinet also allowed coaching centres to operate at 50 per cent capacity. The Health Department will issue standard operating Restores six-day week schedule in govt offices procedures for the centres. It also decided to restore the usual six-day week schedule in government offices. On the State Election Commission’s request, the Cabinet relaxed the condition of allowing not more than 50 persons at indoor meetings so that the commission could conduct poll training. — TNS Patiala, January 5 The district police on Tuesday arrested Punjabi singer and lyricist Shree Brar, alias Pawandeep Singh, for allegedly promoting violence and gun culture in one of his songs. The police will question him over the controversial lyrics relating to a recent murder in Patiala. A case under Section 3 of The Police (Incitement to Disaffection) Act, 1922, and Sections 500, 501, 502, 505, 115, 116 and 120-B IPC has been registered. SSP Vikramjeet Duggal said the CASE FOR PROMOTING GUN CULTURE ■ Shree Brar featured in a recent song, “Jaan” by Barbie Mann. In its video, he is reportedly seen threatening cops after being named in a murder case ■ He is seen barging into a police station and rescuing an accused by pointing gun at the duty officer song, “Jaan” by Barbie Mann, featuring Brar, was released in November last year. In its video, Brar is reportedly seen threatening police officers after being named in the murder case. It shows him barging into Nabha police APPEAR IN COURT ■ Failing to respond to summons twice, a Patiala court has passed ex parte order on a plea against singer Sidhu Moosewala ■ Plea seeks ~50L over derogatory words against lawyers in his song ‘Sanju’ station and rescuing a murder accused by pointing a weapon at the duty officer. The police said the singer, a resident of Sector 91, SAS Nagar, talked about his name being dragged in a recent murder case, but “owing to his links” he was “untouchable” by law. “Such glorification of guns and hatred will not be tolerated. The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint. Raids are on to nab other artistes who were part of the song,” the SSP said. DSP (Investigation) Krishan Kumar Panthe said the singer admitted to his involvement in the murder in the song. “We will interrogate him to ascertain if he had any role in the case,” he said. — TNS