11072022-TTB-01.qxd 7/10/2022 11:32 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 142 NO. 190 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA JAPAN GOES TO POLLS IN SHADOW OF ABE’S ASSASSINATION WORLD /thetribunechd HUGE CACHE OF ILLEGAL ARMS SEIZED IN PALWAL HARYANA HELP FARMERS DJOKOVIC BEATS KYRGIOS MAXIMISE GAINS FOR 7TH WIMBLEDON FROM MOONG INFOCUS TITLE SPORT monday | 11 july 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com SL Oppn decides on all-party govt To meet again today | India expresses solidarity with Lankans ❝ India stands with the people Tribune News Service Home Minister Amit Shah with Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi Cong MLA Bishnoi meets Shah, Nadda; likely to join BJP New Delhi, July 10 Haryana Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi today met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda, triggering speculation that he may join the ruling party. After his meeting, the 53year-old MLA from Adampur heaped praises on the BJP continued on page 9 NEW DELHI/colombo, JULY 10 India today expressed solidarity with people of Sri Lanka as the island nation’s Opposition decided to form an all-party interim government. This decision comes a day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to resign in the wake of unprecedented street protests during which both leaders’ residences were stormed by irate protesters. Opposition parties held talks to seek ways to steer the country forward amidst the unprecedented economic crisis after President Rajapaksa on Saturday informed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywarde- of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values. — MEA << Protesters have food at Lankan President’s house in Colombo. WON’T BUDGE TILL PREZ & PM QUIT, SAY PROTESTERS 17.85 MN RUPEES ‘FOUND’ IN GOTABAYA’S MANSION MISSING PREZ ORDERS GAS DISTRIBUTION Protesters who have forced the President and the PM out of their houses said they would occupy the buildings until the two quit office Protesters who stormed President Rajapaksa’s house claimed to have recovered 17.85 million Sri Lankan rupees inside his mansion The President, whose location is unknown, has ordered smooth distribution of LPG after Sri Lanka received 3,700 MT of the gas na from an undisclosed location that he would step down on Wednesday. “We agreed in principle to form a govern- ment of unity with all parties’ participation for an interim period,” Wimal Weerawansa of the ruling Sri Lanka Podu- jana Peramuna (SLPP) party’s breakaway group said. continued on page 9 edit: chaos in colombo Peddlers fleeing cops kill 2 students IN BRIEF Air surcharge: Leh and beyond Rs 2.00 Patiala, July 10 Two bike-borne youngsters were killed in a road accident on Friday night near Rohar Jagir village in Julkan area of Patiala. They were hit by a speeding car allegedly driven by two drug smugglers who were trying to evade policemen. The deceased have been identified as Ramanpreet Singh (19) and Gursewak Singh (22). They DRAG BIKE FOR 1 KM ■ Peddlers had turned off their car’s headlights to evade police ■ They escaped after the car fell into the fields and turned turtle ■ One of deceased was pursuing engineering while the other was preparing for police exam were cousins and residents of Rohar Jagir village. After hitting the bike, the car occu- pants did not stop their vehicle. Rather, they sped away, dragging the bike along with the youngsters for around 1 km. Thereafter, the driver lost control over the car and it turned turtle in the fields. Passersby rushed to the spot and found the two bike riders still stuck with one of them dead due to grievous injuries. continued on page 9 Amid fear of defections, Cong sacks Goa LoP NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday removed Michael Lobo as its Goa Leader of Opposition and said the party was unable to contact five MLAs. The developments come on the eve of Assembly session amid fear of defections to the BJP. BACK PAGE Sebi mulls ‘market risk factor disclosures’ NEW DELHI: In a global first, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is planning to issue regular ‘risk factor disclosures’ on market trends, including surges and collapses, to help investors make right decisions, according to sources. PTI New law to strengthen public health response Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 10 India is all set to enhance emergency response preparedness in the wake of Covid-19 with the government forming a high-level committee this week to finalise the new public health law and repeal the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897. The seven-member committee, chaired by Girija Vaidyanathan, former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and incumbent expert member of the National Green Tribunal, has been directed to submit its report within a month of the first meeting. The panel will examine the draft of National Health Act which NITI Aayog submitted to the continued on page 9 125-yr-old Epidemic Act to be repealed HEALTH GOVERNANCE The new Public Health Act will seek to strengthen public health governance GAPS IN EXISTING ACT ■ Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, does not define dangerous diseases or an epidemic ■ It does not list steps the Centre/states should follow while declaring an epidemic ■ Does not have provisions that allow measures like lockdowns to be enforced ■ GoI had to invoke National Disaster Management Act to enforce lockdowns, masking NDRF starts nationwide safety audit of ropeways New Delhi, July 10 In view of recent accidents in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has launched a nationwide survey of passenger cable cars and ropeway systems to find out possible AFTER PARWANOO MISHAP, U’KHAND MLA STUCK MIDWAY security flaws and prepare a structural blueprint for effective rescue operations. The NDRF has also decided to train its rescuers in specific continued on page 9 Outage in Kullu’s Malana village since cloudburst Mandi, July 10 Residents of the remote Malana village in Kullu district have been reeling under darkness for the past five days. Due to flash flood at Malana power project on July 6, the power infrastructure was damaged in the area, snapping supply to the village. Villagers have also been cut off from the road after the flash flood as it did considerable damage to the road in the region. Similarly, a few villages under the flood-affected Chhalal panchayat of Kullu district had no power supply since July 6 as a flash flood at Choj village had damaged the power infrastructure in the area. However, the HP State Electricity Board restored continued on page 9