29122021-TT-01.qxd 28-12-2021 23:11 Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 141 NO. 359 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH SHAMI TAKES 5 WICKETS, INDIA BUNDLE OUT SA FOR 197 SPORT /thetribunechd SIT RULES OUT FOUL PLAY IN HYDERPORA ENCOUNTER J&K COVID CASES UP IN TWO AUSTRALIAN STATES WORLD PM TAKES A DIG AT SP OVER KANPUR CASH SEIZURE BACK PAGE wednesday | 29 december 2021 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com ‘Yellow alert’ in Delhi, Punjab asks unjabbed to stay home Mukesh Ranjan & Vishav Bharti STRICTER CURBS IN CAPITAL Tribune News Service SEBI to tighten norms for use of IPO proceeds Mumbai, December 28 SEBI on Tuesday decided to tighten norms for utilisation of IPO proceeds by companies, introduce special situation funds to invest only in stressed assets and amend various regulations, including those on mutual funds and settlement proceedings. The SEBI also gave its nod for amending Foreign Portfolio Investor regulations and introducing a provision for appointment or re-appointment of any person, including as a MD or a whole-time director or a manager, who was earlier rejected by the shareholders at a general meeting. Amendments will also be effected to cap the number of shares that can be offered and to increase the lock-in period for shares subscribed by anchor investors. — PTI Schools, colleges shut; cap on weddings NewDelhi/Chandigarh, Dec 28 Amid a fresh surge in Covid cases, the Delhi Government has issued “yellow alert” and ordered the closure of schools, colleges, cinemas and gyms in the National Capital even as Punjab has asked eligible persons who haven’t taken both vaccine doses to remain indoors. “Those who are eligible for vaccination but haven’t taken both doses should stay inside their houses. They mustn’t visit public places, including malls, markets and shrines, attend any function or use public transport,” read an order issued by the Punjab Principal Secretary (Home), Anurag Verma. Considering the emergent situation in the aftermath of the new ‘variant of concern’ Omicron, those not fully vaccinated needed to take more precautions, said Verma. Those not due for second dose would, however, be exempted from the curbs, he said. All government offices in Chandigarh have also decided to allow only fully vaccinated (including their Pvt offices, Metro to run at 50% capacity A health worker collects swab samples at Bikaner railway station. PTI CIPLA TO MARKET MOLNUPIRAVIR ■ Drug major Cipla on Tuesday has received emergency use authorisation permission from the Drug Controller General of India to launch antiviral drug Molnupiravir in the country to treat mild-tomoderate Covid-19. The Mumbai-based firm plans to launch Molnupiravir under the brand name Cipmolnu. employees) people or those not yet due for second dose, as per health protocol. The COVOVAX, CORBEVAX GET APPROVAL ■ Expanding India’s vaccine basket, the Central Drug Authority has approved the Serum Institute of India’s Covid-19 vaccine Covovax and Biological E’s jab Corbevax for restricted use in emergency situation. 6,358 FRESH CASES TOTAL DEATHS ACTIVE CASES 4,80,290 75,456 293 DEATHS IN 24 HOURS same guidelines are to be followed by banks, hotels, bars, restaurants, shopping com- plexes, cinemas and gyms. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority announced the shutdown order after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal issued “yellow alert” as part of the graded response action plan (GRAP) in view of the rising infections. The fresh restrictions mean that shops of nonessential goods and services and malls will open with an odd-even formula. Besides, the timing of the night curfew, imposed from Monday, too has been extended and will now begin at 10 pm instead of 11 pm. Marriages and funeralrelated gatherings will only be allowed with an attendance of 20 persons. However, public gatherings, including political or religious, have now been prohibited as per the fresh guidelines. All public transports, including the Delhi Metro, will run at 50 per cent capacity, while autos and cabs can now only carry two passengers. The alert was sounded as Delhi reported 496 fresh cases on Tuesday (one death), which is the highest in the last six months. Continued on page 9 Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the party’s 137th Foundation Day in New Delhi on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO: MANAS RANJAN BHUI Sonia slams politics of hate, divisive ideology Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 28 Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said the “divisive ideologies anchored in hate and prejudice were weakening” the foundation of a strong India laid by her party’s stalwarts over the years. In a video message to Congress workers on the party’s 137th Foundation Day, Sonia said, “History is being falsified and detestable efforts are being made to erase the ‘Ganga-Jamuni’ culture of the country.” Asserting that the Congress would neither remain a mute spectator nor allow CENTRE TARGETING CHRISTIANS: CONG The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Centre over its refusal to renew the FCRA registration of the Missionaries of Charity, accusing it of targeting Christians to advance its majoritarian agenda. anybody to “destroy” the country’s rich heritage, she said, “Divisive ideologies anchored in hate and prejudice, which had no role to play in our freedom movement, are now wreaking havoc on the secular fabric of our Continued on page 9 Demand for extension as ITR deadline nears Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 28 With just three days left for filing income tax returns, several taxpayers and accountants have called for extending the due date. Taxpayers are complaining of technical problems with the portal which may be reflected in the glacial pace of rise in I-T returns for the 2020-21 financial year. Till December 27, 4.67 crore returns had been filed, marking a rise of just 24 lakh over the last two days. The number of ITR 1 returns is 2.50 crore, a rise of 9 lakh over the past two days. This means there should be 49 lakh more filings till December 31 in order to touch the 2019-20 figure of 2.99 crore. Mandaviya urges docs to call off strike IN BRIEF Seer booked for remarks against Mahatma AKOLA: The police have registered a case against Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj for allegedly using derogatory words against Mahatma Gandhi, an official said on Tuesday. PTI Delhi air quality still in ‘very poor’ category NEW DELHI: Delhi's AQI was recorded at 347 on Tuesday, a slight improvement after it deteriorated to 'severe' at 433 on Monday. The PM10 (287) level was recorded in the 'poor' category too. PTI FEMA probe: ED seizes shares worth ~293 cr NEW DELHI: The ED has seized shares worth ~293.91 crore of former TN Mercantile Bank chairman Nesamanimaran Muthu in connection with a FEMA probe against him. PTI New Delhi, December 28 Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today held a meeting with a delegation of protesting resident doctors and urged them to call off their strike over delay in NEET-PG counselling in the larger interest of the public. Following the meeting with the delegation of the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association, he said all requisite steps were being taken by the government and a Says not able to hold NEET-PG counselling as matter sub judice suitable reply with respect to the EWS report would be submitted to the Supreme Court before the scheduled date of hearing on January 6. “Our resident doctors have been protesting for the last few days over the delay in NEET-PG counselling. I held a meeting with a delegation of the protesting doctors at Nirman Bhawan to resolve the issue,” the minister said. “We are not able to hold the counselling because the matter is sub judice before the Supreme Court. The Government of India will submit a reply to the apex court before the scheduled date of hearing on January 6. We request the court to expedite the issue so that the counselling continued on page 9 Punjab Congress legislators Fateh Jung Bajwa and Balwinder Laddi join the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi on Tuesday. TRIBUNE PHOTO Yes Bank scam: CBI employee booked for theft New Delhi, December 28 The CBI has registered a case against its own employees, posted at Mumbai’s AntiCorruption Branch, on charges of forgery, theft and criminal conspiracy in a case linked to the Yes Bank scam, sources said. The sources said CBI lower division clerk Sumeet Kumar placed a note in the Yes Bank case file, involving Rana Kapoor and his family, which read as “Shri Sameer Gehlaut and Rana Kapoor arrest is put up for kind perusal pls”. It is to be noted that the CBI had booked Kapoor on the charges of conspiracy, cheating and corruption in March 2020. Sumeet Kumar took pictures of the note and the case file and shared it with Mohit Kumar of M/s Mohit Trading Company, a house keeping agency working with Indiabulls, the sources said. The CBI alleged, “the images were sent to Mohit Kumar to impress upon M/s Indiabulls to extend their contract of work of house keeping being undertaken by them, by giving favour in matter of possible arrest of Sameer Gehlaut, the then promoter and MD of Indiabulls Housing Finance”. — TNS 24 bridges unveiled, 9 in J&K,10 in Ladakh, HP Fearing denial of ticket, Cong MLAs Tribune News Service BORDER INFRA BOOST New Delhi, December 28 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the country faced the adversary (China) in the northern sector recently with grit and determination. It could not have been possible without proper infrastructural development, he said as he went on to praise the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). A strong infrastructure in border areas is essential in today’s uncertain times as it ■ Of the 24 bridges unveiled, 9 are in J&K, 5 each are located in Ladakh and HP, 3 in Uttarakhand, and one each in Sikkim and Arunachal. ■ Of three border road projects, two are in Ladakh and one is in West Bengal. strengthens strategic capabilities, the Defence Minister said, adding that as part of the border infrastructure, India must bolster surveillance systems as well. Rajnath was speaking at a function to “dedicate to the nation” 24 bridges and three roads, built by the BRO. Of the 24 bridges unveiled virtually, nine are in Jammu and Kashmir, five each are located in Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, three are in Uttarakhand and one each in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Of the three roads, two are in Ladakh and one is in West Bengal. Among the key border projects was an indigenous 140-foot double-lane modular bridge, built at a height of 11,000 feet at Flag Hill-Dokala, Sikkim, and the Chisumle-Demchok road that passes through Umling continued on page 9 Fateh Jung, Balwinder Singh join BJP Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 28 Ahead of the Punjab Assembly poll early next year, Congress MLAs Fateh Jung Bajwa (Qadian) and Balwinder Singh Laddi (Sri Hargobindpur) joined the BJP today. Sources said since they were unlikely to be given ticket by the Congress, they switched over to the saffron party. The Congress is learnt to have identified at least 10- CRICKETER MONGIA IN BJP FOLD TOO Former cricketer Dinesh Mongia joined the BJP in presence of party’s state incharge and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday. Shekhawat claimed the party was gaining ground in Punjab. 12 MLAs who performed poorly in surveys conducted by it to work out the merit of prospective candidates. Guruharsahai MLA Rana Gumit Sodhi, who recently joined the BJP was also , among those who were likely to be denied the ticket. A senior party leader said, “We won’t be surprised if a few more MLAs, who are not in a winning position, join the BJP or other party in the coming days. The BJP is poaching Congress MLAs to create a false impression of continued on page 9 With two more inductions, Hisar Threat to houses, Kangra locals protest mining division gets lion’s share in Cabinet Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Hisar, December 28 With the induction of Hisar BJP MLA Kamal Gupta and his JJP counterpart from Tohana Devender Babli in the Haryana Cabinet on Tuesday, the number of ministers from the Hisar administrative division has gone up to five. The other three ministers are JJP MLAs Dushyant Chautala (Deputy CM who represents Uchana in Jind district) and Anoop Dhanak (Uklana, Hisar) and Independent legislator Ran- Kamal Gupta Devender Babli IN NUMBERS DIVISION Hisar Ambala Gurugram Karnal Faridabad Rohtak MINISTERS 5 3 2 2 1 1 jit Chautala (Rania, Sirsa). The JJP now has three ministers and the BJP 10. Of the other five divisions, Rohtak has only one minister, Loharu (Bhiwani) MLA JP Dalal. This is despite Rohtak being the home district of CM Manohar Lal Khattar (Karnal MLA) and ex-CM Bhupinder Hooda (Rohtak). The NCR belt of Gurugram and Faridabad divisions has three ministers. MC Sharma (Ballabgarh MLA) is the only minister from Faridabad. Banwari Lal (Bawal, Rewari) continued on page 9 Dharamsala, December 28 Alleging threat to their houses due to illegal mining in the Gaj river, residents of Bhaidara, Baidi and Khaidara villages near Gaggal airport have decided to take on the mining mafia. With the help of the local administration, the locals yesterday blocked temporary path created by tractortrailer owners to approach the mining site near the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway. Two JCB machines were pressed into service, one was provided by the Villagers gather near the illegal mining site at Rajola village. BLAME CONTRACTORS ■ Residents of Bhaidara, Baidi and Khaidara say illegal mining in the Gaj river has posed threat to their houses ■ They claim no action was taken by administration despite repeated complaints ■ They blocked path created by tractor-trailer owners to approach the mining site administration and the other was hired by villagers. Udham Singh of Khaidara said, “Unscrupulous elements are cutting hills for stones, which has posed a grave threat to around 500 houses in the village. On an average, about 50-100 tractortrailers are being plied under the nose of the authorities. Despite complaints, no action was ever taken.” The matter was finally brought to the notice of Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal, who directed the authorities to take action, he said. Jindal said illegal continued on page 9