18042022-TTC-01.qxd 4/18/2022 12:36 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 6 NO.106 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 SHEHBAZ FOR MEANINGFUL INDIA-PAKISTAN ENGAGEMENT WORLD /thetribunechd THREE JAIL OFFICIALS BOOKED FOR EXTORTION PUNJAB ADDRESS CONSTRAINTS TO MAKE WHITE GOLD GLITTER INFOCUS TSITSIPAS BATTLES PAST FOKINA TO WIN MONTE CARLO TITLE SPORT monday | 18 april 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com After Delhi clashes, mob targets cops in K’taka over online post Tribune News Service Security personnel detain suspects after incidents of stone-throwing in Hubballi, Karnataka, on Saturday. PTI ONE OF THE ‘PLOTTERS’ ESCALATED MATTERS: FIR Tribune News Service KHARGONE: 200 BOOKED FOR HOLDING PROTEST RAF personnel keep a vigil at Jahangirpuri in New Delhi. PTI vehicles were also torched. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Usha Rangnani said an FIR was registered under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120- Aditi Tandon Will hold ‘in-depth’ talks with PM Modi day later PM Modi & Boris Johnson. FILE Downing Street said in a statement on Saturday. Johnson will then proceed to New Delhi to meet Modi on April 22, where the focus continued on page 9 B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting) and other relevant continued on page 9 Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 17 The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday said it was tracking two new Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 to assess their immunity escape potential. The sub-variants, WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said, needed careful clinical, epidemiological and immunological studies for their properties. “The WHO is following this closely,” she said. Leading the investigations is Tulio de Oliveira, Director GOVT REBUTS NYT REPORT Responding to The New York Times report claiming India stalled WHO’s efforts to make the global Covid toll public, the government said it had been in regular and in-depth technical exchange with WHO on the matter. BACK PAGE of Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, South Africa, where a network of researchers are studying whether new lineages BA.4 and BA.5 escape immunity from Covid vaccines and prior infections. continued on page 9 Pvt bus operators cry foul over HRTC discount to women Farm unions meet CM Mann, seek ~500/quintal extra for poor yield Nurpur, April 17 The private bus operators in the state are upset over the HP Government’s decision to grant 50% concession in fare to women passengers in HRTC buses from July. Ravi Dutt Sharma, president, Kangra District Private Bus Operators’ Welfare Society, said here today the Covid pandemic had sounded death knell for private bus operators continued on page 9 Sanjeev Singh Bariana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 17 Facing crop loss due to adverse weather, farmer leaders today, at two separate meetings with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, sought a compensation of Rs 500 per quintal on the wheat being procured by government agencies. Talking to The Tribune, Krantikari Kisan Union pres- ident Darshan Pal said, “CM Mann assured us that the government is looking into the minutes of the issue, and that details will be shared with the Centre for appropriate relief.” Mann had a meeting with the representatives of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan), represented by president Joginder Ugrahan, vicepresident Jhanda Singh Jehtuke and secretary Shingara Singh Mann. The CM later met a Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) delegation, continued on page 9 ‘Textile City’ Panipat reels under power cuts Switching to diesel generators raises industrial production cost by 10% Mukesh Tandon Tribune News Service Panipat, April 17 Famous as ‘Textile City’, Panipat has been reeling under unscheduled power cuts spanning about four hours daily for the past fortnight, hitting the functioning of the industries. Also facing frequent tripping, the industrial houses 1,25,000 UNITS 85,000 UNITS 40,000 UNITS DAILY REQUIREMENT SHORTFALL FACED POWER AVAILABLE LOSING GLOBAL COMPETITIVE EDGE ■ Banking on diesel generators, industrialists say production cost up 10%, making their goods less competitive globally ■ Power through diesel generators costs the industry ~28 to ~30 a unit against ~10 per unit charged by the power utility have been forced to make do with diesel generators, which have raised their production New Delhi, April 17 As suspected by security experts, the gadgets used by the US-led allied forces during the warfare in Afghanistan have found their way to terror groups in J&K, officials said. Officials in the J&K security grid said over a dozen signatures of Iridium satellite phones used during the Afghan war by the US-led forces and Wi-Fi-enabled thermal imaging devices had been detected in the Kashmir valley. Terrorists have been using these devices to ■ Over a dozen signatures of Iridium satellite phones, used during the Afghan war by the US, have been detected in Kashmir valley ■ Terrorists have also been using thermal imaging devices at encounter sites ■ Since these devices are not used by Pak army, the finger of suspicion points to Afghan link escape security cordons, especially during night. The officials said signatures of Iridium satellite phones had been detected since February, first in north Kashmir and now in parts of south Kashmir. The security officials suspect these satellite phones Army top guns to assess challenges at 5-day meet Ansar, 35, one of the alleged key conspirators behind the Saturday Jahangirpuri clash, had an argument with those part of Hanuman Jayanti procession that led to stone-pelting, according to the FIR. Ansar’s wife claimed her husband was innocent. PTI UKPM Johnson to arrive WHO tracks two new in Ahmedabad on April 21 Omicron sub-variants London, April 17 Boris Johnson will become the first British Prime Minister to visit Gujarat when he lands in Ahmedabad this week for a two-day visit to India for “in-depth talks” with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, according to Downing Street. Johnson’s first visit to India as UK Prime Minister will begin on April 21 with a trip to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which is PM Modi’s home state. Investment announcements in key industries in both the UK and India will take place, Tribune News Service USE OF SAT PHONES DETECTED Youth who opened fire among 20 arrested in Capital New Delhi, April 17 The Delhi Police have arrested 20 persons and detained two juveniles in connection with the violence that broke out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the Jahangirpuri area of the Capital on Saturday, while fresh communal clashes have been reported from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. In the Jahangirpuri area, the Delhi Police also held meetings with “Aman Committees” amid heavy deployment of forces as an uneasy calm prevailed there. Police officials said 21-yearold Aslam, who allegedly fired a bullet that hit a subinspector, was among those arrested. A pistol was recovered from Aslam, who is a resident of a slum in Jahangirpuri, the police said. The police said there had been stone-throwing and arson during the clashes between two communities that left eight police personnel and a local injured. Some Militants in Kashmir using warfare devices left by US in Afghanistan cost by 8 to 10 per cent. The residents too have been suffering due to the cuts. Today’s issue is of 16 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. Panipat’s daily power demand has been touching 1.25 lakh units, which is 40,000 units more than the supply of 85,000 units. The city has 25,000 small and medium-scale units that manufacture a range of handloom products, including carpets, blankets, spinning mills, sofa fabrics, bed-sheets, continued on page 9 New Delhi, April 17 Top leadership of the Army will carry out an extensive review of the security challenges along the borders with China and Pakistan and assess any possible implication of the Russia-Ukraine war at a fiveday Commanders’ conference beginning here tomorrow. COMMANDERS’ CONFERENCE STARTS IN DELHI TODAY The conference will undertake analysis of capability voids to further focus on capability development and operational preparedness plans. It will assess threats in the entire spectrum of conflict. The discussions will focus on continued on page 9 L/Nk Nishan Singh, who died in J&K gunfight on Saturday,wasfrom Sirsa. are possibly those abandoned by the allied forces while leaving Afghanistan or might have been seized by the Taliban or terrorists fighting there. Sources in the security setup said that at least for now the satellite phones were not a big challenge as these were being specially monitored, and those using them would soon be neutralised. Bodies like the National Technical Research Organisation and the Defence Intelligence Agency have been tasked with providing realtime information about the presence of these satellite phones in Kashmir, the officials said. The signatures of the thermal imaging devices, which can be connected to WiFi, have also been found from some encounter sites. Since these devices are not being used by the Pakistan army, the finger of suspicion points to the Afghanistan link. IN BRIEF Govt amends FEMA rules to allow 20% FDI in LIC NEW DELHI: The government has amended rules of Foreign Exchange Management Act, paving the way for up to 20 per cent foreign direct investment in the insurance behemoth LIC. BACK PAGE Ashish bail: SC order on cancellation plea today NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is to deliver on Monday its order on a plea seeking cancellation of bail to Ashish Mishra, son of MoS Ajay Mishra, in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. BACK PAGE Oil Min freezes allocation, CNG, PNG rates up NEW DELHI: The Oil Ministry has stopped allocation of natural gas from domestic fields to the city gas sector, threatening viability of ~2 lakh crore investment & leading to a hike in CNG and PNG rates . BACK PAGE