24052022-TTC-01.qxd 5/24/2022 12:46 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 6 NO.142 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 1,500 ARRESTED FOR VIOLENT CLASHES IN SRI LANKA WORLD /thetribunechd SARPANCH’S MURDER: 3 ‘HYBRID’ LASHKAR MILITANTS HELD J&K UNSUSTAINABLE TO SELL FUEL IN INDIA: PVT FIRMS BUSINESS NITISH CALLS ALL-PARTY MEET ON CASTE CENSUS BACK PAGE tuesday | 24 may 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com PM joins launch of 13-nation pact for economic resilience in Indo-Pacific India committed to working for an inclusive & flexible IPEF, says Modi Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 23 Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) by US President Joseph Biden in Tokyo to counter China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) strategy of building infrastructure for developing countries to bring them under its influence. A day ahead of the second in-person Quad summit, its four leaders – Modi, Biden, Japan PM Fumio Kishida and Australian PM Anthony Albanese — attended the launch in the virtual presence of leaders from nine other partner countries — Brunei, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The 13 countries account for 40 per cent of the global GDP . A joint statement issued by the 13 potential partners said the IPEF sought to strengthen economic partnership to enhance resilience, economic growth and fairness in the Japan PM Fumio Kishida, US President Joe Biden and PM Narendra Modi in Tokyo. REUTERS COUNTERING CHINA ■ IPEF rollout is part of US efforts towards a strong economic policy for Indo-Pacific to counter China’s infra and trade strategy. ■ Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have joined this US initiative. Indo-Pacific region. The participation of nine other countries was a tightly wrapped secret till Biden made the IN BRIEF Punjab ADGP (Law & Order), 27 other cops shifted Chandigarh:The Punjab Government on Monday reshuffled 28 cops, including four ADGPs. Those transferred include ADGP (Law & Order) Naresh Kumar, who has been posted as ADGP (Human Rights). INSIDE Ukraine’s 1st war crime trial: Russian gets life term KYIV: A Ukrainian court sentenced Russian soldier Sgt Vadim Shishimarin to life on Monday for killing a Ukrainian civilian, sealing the first guilty conviction for war crimes since Moscow's invasion. INSIDE Adani, Nundy among TIME’s 100 ‘most influential’ New York: Billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani and advocate Karuna Nundy were named by TIME magazine on Monday as among the “100 Most Influential People of 2022”. BACK PAGE IPEF TO FOCUS ON SUPPLY CHAINS Trade facilitation for SMEs Standards for digital economy & technology Supply-chain resilience Decarbonisation; Infra Rules and standards Other shared interests INDIA, US SIGN PACT ■ India and the US signed an Investment Incentive Agreement, a requirement for continuing US investment support. ■ The agreement will activate proposals worth $4 billion under consideration by the US International Development Finance Corporation. BACK PAGE announcement. The headline speculation thus far was about a white shipping agreement among Quad countries to keep an eye on illegal Chinese fishing. PM Modi described the launch as continued on page 10 AAP MLA gets 3-year RI for assault, granted bail Ropar, May 23 Aam Aadmi Party’s Patiala Rural MLA Dr Balbir Singh and three others, including his wife and son, were today sentenced to three-year rigorous imprisonment in a 2011 assault case. All four were granted bail. The case was registered on the complaint of MLA’s sister-in-law Paramjeet Kaur, who alleged she had a land dispute with the legislator and the court gave the verdict in her favour. Following this, Dr Balbir Singh, his wife Rupinder Kaur (Paramjeet’s sister), son Anup Saini and one Parminder Singh assaulted the complainant’s husband on June 13, 2011. A case under Sections 323, 324, continued on page 10 J&K militants threaten Amarnath Yatra Draft of HP’s first horticulture policy by next month Our Correspondent Subhash Rajta Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 23 Militants have threatened the Amarnath Yatra, alleging the authorities planned to use the event for “demographic and political gains”. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), claimed the government planned to “push in RSS men” disguised as pilgrims. “If this yatra is used for political gains, we will do our best to foil such plans. We will target anyone who is a stooge of the regime,” read a statement issued by the TRF . The Centre has sanctioned 50 companies of the CAPF for the security of the 43-day pilgrimage starting June 30. ASIA CUP India, Pak draw 1-1 PHOTO: HI Haryana civic polls on June19 Chandigarh, May 23 The election to 46 municipalities, including 28 municipal committees and 18 municipal councils, will be held on June 19, State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh said here today. Addressing a press conference here, Dhanpat Singh said the model code of conduct had come into force and no official connected with the FARIDABAD MC ELECTIONS TO BE HELD LATER POLL SCHEDULE Nominations: May 30 to June 4 Vote counting: June 22 18.30 lakh to exercise franchise 4,000 EVMs to be used election work would be transferred till the completion of continued on page 10 Shimla, May 23 The hill state is all set to get its first horticulture policy, the draft of which will be ready by the end of next month. Sources say the policy will facilitate growers in a big way and remove impediments in the way of making the state the “fruit bowl of the country”. Amitabh Awasthi, Secretary, Horticulture, said, “Once ready, the draft will be put into public domain to seek suggestions/objections. We broadly know what stakeholders want as we have already had interactive sessions with them.” He said the major thrust would be on making horticulture techoriented. “The idea is to make continued on page 10 Despite crunch, medical specialists doing admn work Vishav Bharti Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 23 Even as the Punjab Health Minister has ordered that all senior government doctors must perform clinical duty for at least three hours a day, specialists posted at the department headquarters in Chandigarh are mostly engaged in clerical work. SETTING IT RIGHT: PUNJAB MINISTER We are aware of the matter…process to involve these doctors in clinical work is underway. Dr Vijay Singla, HEALTH MINISTER ❝ The state is reeling under severe shortage of doctors with over 800 posts lying vacant. There are around 50 senior doctors, including specialists and dentists, posted at the Directorate of Health, Punjab State Aids Control Society and Punjab Health Systems Corporation Today’s issue is of 18 pages, including four-page Jalandhar Tribune. in Chandigarh. Most of these doctors are gynaecologist, biochemist, skin specialist, chest and TB specialist, pathologist and forensic expert. Some of them are not even working against sanctioned posts, while some others are attached with senior bureaucrats and politicians. continued on page 10 Will carry on with radical reforms: India at Davos Davos, May 23 India is in the midst of a major transformation in the digital space, and a strong political leadership and the commitment to continue with radical reforms would play a key role in taking the country to a leadership role in the global economy, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Monday. Addressing a breakfast season on unleashing the power of the Indian diaspora on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting-2023, Kant said, “A slew of radical reforms has been carried out by India in the recent years that have put India on a growth trajectory for many decades to come.” “The Startup India movement has seen the number of startups rise from double-digit to tens of thousands now and the emergence of unicorns even at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic has been phenomenal,” he said at the session organised by the CII. — PTI RBI Governor hints at another interest rate hike New Delhi, May 23 RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday hinted at another interest rate hike in early June to bring down high inflation which has remained above the tolerance level for the past four months. The next meeting of the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is scheduled for June 6-8. Though the partial excise duty cut on fuels will somewhat tame inflation by up to 40 basis points, the step is considered PROLONGED HEATWAVE MAY HIT GROWTH: MOODY’S Prolonged high temperatures are credit negative for India as it could exacerbate inflation and hurt growth, as per Moody’s Investors Service too inadequate in this regard. “Expectation of rate hike, it’s a no-brainer. There will be some hike but how much I will not be able to tell now,” he said in an interview to a continued on page 10 VK SAXENA TO BE NEW L-G OF DELHI BACK PAGE Varanasi court to decide on pleas today New Delhi, May 23 A district court here reserved its order for Tuesday on which petition is to be heard first in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex case transferred to it by the Supreme Court. An application had been moved by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid through its lawyer seeking to first decide on the maintainability of the suit before proceeding further. A fresh plea seeking permission to worship the “Shivling” claimed to have been found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises during a videography survey ordered by a lower court was also filed. The court of District Judge 2 PUNE DARGAHS ON TEMPLE LAND: MNS Pune: Amid Gyanvapi controversy, the MNS has claimed that two dargahs had been built on the Punyeshwar temple land in Pune. MNS leader Ajay Shinde on Sunday said they had launched a campaign seeking people’s support in restoring the temple land. PTI PERMISSION SOUGHT FOR ‘PURIFICATION’ OF MATHURA’S SHAHI IDGAH AK Vishvesh heard arguments from both the sides. The apex court had on Friday transferred the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex case from a civil judge (senior division) to a district judge, saying looking at the “complexities” and “sensitivity” of the issue, it is better if a senior judicial officer having continued on page 10