29032021-TTB-01.qxd 3/28/2021 11:48 PM Page 1 13 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | vol.5 no.87 | 18 pages | ~5.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2021-2023 established in 1881 INDIA WIN THIRD ODI BY 7 RUNS, BAG SERIES SPORT /thetribunechd REMOVE HURDLES TO HELP FARMERS REAP DIVIDENDS INFOCUS IN NANDIGRAM AFTER INJURY, DIDI RIPS INTO RIVAL BACK PAGE /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com HAPPY HOLI TO OUR READERS monday | 29 march 2021 Daily deaths over 300 for first 200 seats for sure in Bengal, time this year, 62K new cases claims Shah after first phase Tribune News Service Says PM visit to B’desh didn’t violate poll code Tribune News Service HOLIDAY NOTICE The offices of The Tribune will remain closed today on account of Holi. There will, therefore, be no issue of the paper tomorrow (March 30). Prez nod to NCT Bill New delhi, march 28 President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday gave his assent to a Bill that accords primacy to Delhi's L-G over the elected government. The Centre announced President’s assent to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, through a notification. The "government" in Delhi will now have to seek the opinion of the L-G for any executive action. — PTI New Delhi, March 28 India’s daily Covid-19 cases surged to 62,714 while the daily death count breached the 300-mark, the highest this year. The steady rise in active cases continued with the load reaching 4,86,310 after 18 days of consistent surge. The active cases now make up 4.06 per cent of the total infections. The recovery rate dropped to 94.58 per cent as total infections in the country reached 1,19,71,624 and the toll touched 1,61,552 after 312 daily deaths. Health Ministry data show daily deaths were the highest today since December 25, 2020, when 336 persons had died in 24 hours. Even as Covid vaccinations crossed the 6-crore mark on Sunday to settle at FIVE DIRECTIVES TO HIGH-BURDEN STATES ■ Increase testing exponentially with RT-PCR accounting for 70% of total tests ■ Trace, test and isolate average 30 close contacts of every Covid patient in the first 72 hours A health worker takes a swab sample of a passenger at Patna station. PTI IN PB, RECORD 69 DEATHS IN 24 HRS Punjab reported record 69 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest during the second spike in a single day. The govt said jabs would now be administered at all health and wellness centres, homoeopathy and ayurvedic dispensaries 6,02,69,782, the Centre again sent out reminders to high-burden Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Modern agri practices need of the hour: PM Tribune News Service & PTI New Delhi, March 28 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday underlined the need for modernisation and innovation in the agriculture sector to boost farmers’ income. In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address, Modi said: “In the agriculture sector, modernisation is the need of the hour. It has been delayed and we have already lost a lot of time.” “To create new employment opportunities and to increase farmers’ income, it is important to adopt new alternatives and innovations along with traditional agricultural practices,” he said. The PM’s call comes at a time when hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s border points since November last year, demanding repeal of the three farm laws. In the context of diversification, Modi said bee farming was being adopted by farmers in various parts of the country, giving a boost to production and behaviour and optimal use of vaccines ■ Muted celebrations of Holi, Shab-e-Barat and Easter ■ Energise public-private partnership which reported 81.46 per cent of new cases today. continued on page 11 EVASIVE ON PAWAR ‘MEET’ Amit Shah on Sunday refused to divulge anything about his purported meeting with NCP’s Sharad Pawar amid the crisis in the Maha Government. “Everything need not be made public,” Shah said responding to a query about the “meeting”. BACK PAGE BJP TO SWEEP POLLS DIDI RUBBISHES CLAIM In Phase-I, BJP is winning 26 of the 30 seats in Bengal and 37 of the 47 seats in Assam. Overall, it will get over 200 seats (out of 294) in Bengal. Amit Shah, HOME MINISTER People's verdict will be evident after votes are counted (on May 2). Since 84% votes were polled, I can surmise people voted for us. Mamata Banerjee, CM ❝ Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service ❝ Farmers should embrace new Led by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, farmers in Ghazipur burn copies of new farm laws on Sunday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MANAS RANJAN BHUI Jhajjar, March 28 Protesting farmers at Tikri border on Sunday celebrated Holi, albeit in a different way. They held a cleanliness drive at the camping site spreading over 13 km, from Jakhoda turn to Tikri. The farmers also decked up the main protest site with balloons. “We are putting up at Tikri for four months. It is our home till the three farm laws are repealed. We thus cleaned Say won’t budge till Centre meets demands up the site and prayed that the Centre comes to its senses and agrees to our demand,” said Gurbachan Singh, a farmer from Mansa. He alleged that despite repeated requests, the local authorities failed to get garbage lifted from the site. BKU leader Purushhotam Singh Gill said the govern- BJP was on course to achieve its target of winning over 200 seats in the 294-member ment had claimed that the farmers would return home by Holi. “We have taken a vow not to move an inch till our demands are met,” Gill said. Terminder Singh, another farmer, said: “Till the time we are here, we will celebrate every festival with communal harmony and brotherhood. As the tradition goes, people burn negativity in ‘Holika dahan’. We too burnt copies of the three farm laws today to register our protest.” Narendra Modi, PRIME MINISTER TEMPLES ATTACKED IN B’DESH POST MODI VISIT export of honey, which he termed as a “sweet revolution”. He cited farmers from Yamunanagar in Haryana among others who are adopting bee farming in a big way. Modi hailed the world’s largest vaccination programme being carried out in India and stressed on “dawai bhi, kadai bhi” (medicines as well as strict preventive measures). Retd judge to investigate ex-police Rajnath: Judicial probe chief’s charges against Deshmukh against ED unfortunate Nagpur, March 28 Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday said a retired HC judge will conduct a probe into the allegations of corruption levelled against him by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh. The truth would come out after a probe into the matter, Deshmukh told reporters at the Nagpur airport. On March 20, Singh in a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray ANIL ACCIDENTAL HOME MINISTER: RAUT In the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, MP Sanjay Raut claimed that Anil Deshmukh was made the state Home Minister accidentally. Raut said Deshmukh got the post after senior NCP leaders refused the responsibility. created a flutter in political circles by claiming that Deshmukh wanted police officers to collect Rs 100 crore monthly from bars and hotels. Deshmukh had then trashed the allegations against him. Under fire over handling of the bomb scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai, the state government on March 17 transferred Singh from the post of city police commissioner. — PTI Thiruvananthapuram, March 28 Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the Kerala government’s decision to recommend a judicial inquiry against central probe agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the gold and dollar smuggling cases, was “unfortunate” and amounts to challenging the federal structure of the Constitution. Rajnath Singh, who is can- Amounts to challenging federal structure, he says Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, March 28 Despite alleging irregularities in the signing of the power purchase agreements (PPAs) with private thermal plants by the previous SAD-BJP government, the Congress government seems to be fighting shy of bringing a White Paper on the controversial agreements even after four years of coming to power. POLL PROMISE NOT KEPT ■ In 2017 poll manifesto, the Cong had promised to renegotiate power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed by the SAD government ■ As per the PPAs, the state has to pay fixed charges to power producers even when it is not drawing power from these In the 2017 Assembly poll manifesto, the party had promised to renegotiate the PPAs to ensure low cost power for consumers and name those responsible for the agreements. “Instead of renegotiating the PPAs to bring down the power rates, the power tariff has gone up. Congress MLAs are expressing concern over the issue as the party braces up to face people in the 2022 Assembly polls,” said a Cabinet minister. continued on page 11 Dharamsala, March 28 Owing to lesser snowfall in the Dhauladhars this year, the Kangra valley is staring at a water shortage. With summers yet to set in, about 25 per cent water supply schemes in Kangra district are facing water paucity. Enquiries from Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) officials reveal that water sources near Bhagsunag, from where water is lifted for supply to Bhagsunag waterfall goes dry. The site is a major tourist attraction. Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. West Bengal Assembly and improving its alliance tally of continued on page 11 IN BRIEF Fire at UP hospital, 140 patients saved KANPUR: Over 140 patients were rescued after a fire broke out at the state-run LPS Institute of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery here on Sunday morning, the UP Government said. The fire erupted in the store of the hospital. BACK PAGE Expressway portion collapses, 3 injured GURGAON:A portion of an under- construction elevated road on the Dwarka Expressway collapsed here on Sunday morning, injuring three workers, officials said. The police said the portion collapsed around 7.30 am and three labourers sustained injuries. INSIDE 4 crore old vehicles on Indian roads NEW DELHI: vassing in Kerala, said the Uniform Civil Code would be implemented only after taking all communities into confidence. “We will take all communities into confidence and go forward. We are firm on that decision,” he said. — PTI Congress evading White Paper on Sources drying up, Kangra stares at water paucity power purchase pacts by SAD govt IPH moots interlinking water supply schemes Tribune News Service ❝ BOOK NADDA, SONOWAL: CONG’S PETITION TO EC Holi gesture: Farmers tidy up Tikri WILL HELP BOOST INCOME, CREATE JOBS alternatives while doing traditional farming. This will help them boost income and create more job opportunities. ■ Ensure Covid-appropriate New Delhi, March 28 Confident of winning both West Bengal and Assam, Home Minister Amit Shah today said the turnout in the first phase was a “shubh sanket” (positive indication) that the “BJP is winning the elections with huge numbers”. The former party president added that no incidence of violence on the day of polling was another “shubh sanket” that the BJP would be “sweeping” the elections in the two states. Citing the feedback received from party workers on the ground, he said the BJP would win 26 of the 30 seats in West Bengal and 37 of the 47 seats in Assam —- the elections to which were held in the first phase on Saturday. Speaking to mediapersons here, Shah claimed that the Ram Nangar and Shayam Nagar areas, has dried up. Many areas in Mcleodganj, a tourist hub, have been hit too. Superintendent Engineer Suresh Mahajan says a proposal has been mooted to interlink water supply schemes. “The department tried to lift water from the Manji river but faced resistance by locals,” he said. Villagers fear if the IPH Department lifts water from rivers, there will be no water in continued on page 11 Over four crore vehicles older than 15 years are plying on roads pan-India and fall under the ambit of green tax, with Karnataka occupying the top slot with more than 70 lakh such vehicles. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has digitised the data of such vehicles. — PTI India, US begin naval exercise New Delhi, March 28 India and the US on Sunday kicked off a two-day naval exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean Region, reflecting the growing congruence in their defence and military partnership. The Indian Navy deployed its warship Shivalik and longrange maritime patrol aircraft P8I in the 'PASSEX' exercise while the US Navy was represented by the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, officials said. — PTI