20022023-TTC-01.qxd 2/20/2023 12:26 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 7 NO. 50 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 BLINKEN MEETS WANG YI, WARNS BEIJING AGAINST HELPING RUSSIA WORLD /thetribunechd CASTOR CROP OFFERS K’TAKA POLL: NADDA TO FARMERS A PROMISING START MEGA OUTREACH OPTION INFOCUS TODAY BACK PAGE LANDSLIDE DAMAGES SEVERAL HOUSES IN RAMBAN DISTRICT J&K monday | 20 february 2023 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Oppn unity for 2024 polls on agenda at AICC meet 7/42, Jadeja wrecks Aussies, helps India retain trophy Only a strong Congress can lead anti-BJP front: Jairam Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 19 Amid competing attempts at the national level to stitch a non-BJP front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress on Sunday signalled clearly that it alone had the organisational and moral heft to lead any potential anti-ruling dispensation platform, having been consistent in its resistance of the saffron forces and the government, including on the Adani issue that it “planned to keep hammering until a JPC probe was ordered”. Ahead of the party’s 85th AICC plenary session in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur from February 24 to 26, the Congress said the issue of Opposition unity would be deliberated at the crucial meeting and reflected in the political resolution. It also said RAIPUR PLENARY FROM FEBRUARY 24 Feb 24 to 26 AICC’s plenary in Raipur Decision may also be taken on CWC election 15,000 delegates to participate Ravindra Jadeja celebrates a wicket on the third day of the 2nd Test. ANI From left: Congress senior leaders KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh and Tariq Anwar during a press conference in New Delhi. MR BHUI KCR, NITISH, MAMATA IN CONTENTION TOO ■ Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao is holding parallel attempts to unite regional parties ■ Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday said he was await“strong Opposition unity was impossible without a strong Congress”. AICC general secretary in charge of communi- ing signal from Congress on bringing Oppn together ■ TMC took a divergent stand visà-vis other Oppn parties during the recent Lok Sabha session cations Jairam Ramesh articulated the party’s position a day after Bihar Chief Minister continued on page 9 Insufficient snow, stone fruit to take hit Ambika Sharma Tribune News Service Solan, February 19 Apple and stone fruit growers are likely to suffer poor crop due to elevated temperatures and deficient rain and snow this winter. Less chill than the MAX TEMP IN SHIMLA 23.2°C | SOLAN 29.5°C | BHUNTAR 29.7°C optimum leads to staggered, delayed and sparse flowering, resulting in poor fruit pro- duce. Apple contributes about Rs 5,500 crore to Himachal’s economy while stone fruits are grown over 28,000 hectares in the state. Deficient rain, snow and elevated temperatures have been continued on page 9 New Delhi, February 19 Ravindra Jadeja demolished Australia with a seven-wicket haul and the visitors lost eight wickets for 28 runs in a shocking batting performance on Sunday morning, as India won the second Test by six wickets to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Jadeja claimed a careerbest 7/42 as Australia, beginning Day 3 at 61/1, folded up for 113, with Ravichandran Ashwin taking three wickets Team one win away from WTC final MAN OF THE MATCH Jadeja, declared the Man of the Match for the second Test in a row, claims a career-best 7/42 and ends up with a match haul of 10/110 for 59. Jadeja, declared the Man of the Match for the second Test in a row, ended up with a match haul of 10/110. continued on page 9 ~2K cr deal to ‘buy’ Sena name: Raut New Delhi, February 19 Leader of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray-UBT) Sanjay Raut today claimed a “deal of Rs 2,000 crore” had taken place to “purchase” the Shiv Sena party name and its “bow and arrow” symbol. Raut made the allegations two days after the EC allotted those to the group led by CM Eknath Shinde. MLA Sada Sarvankar from the Shinde camp continued on p9 edit: sena minus THACKERAY PHSC scam: ~13 cr goods Nuh cops to probe CIA bought without tender role in Bhiwani ‘killings’ Vishav Bharti Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 19 Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) procured medical supplies worth Rs 60 crore during the pandemic period by “throwing rules to the wind and in an autocratic manner”. These facts came to the fore in a special audit of the corporation conducted by the state government. Following The Tribune’s series of stories between March and September 2022 on various scams in Covidrelated procurement like hand sanitisers, masks, furniture, floor disinfectants, Gurugram, February 19 The Nuh police in Haryana have started an inquiry against its own CIA team to probe “negligence” in the Bhiwani case in which the bodies of two Rajasthan youths, Nasir and Junaid, were found charred inside their car even as the family members of the deceased alleged that they were killed by ‘gau rakshaks’ (cow protectors). The police have also launched an investigation into the allegations of torture and harassment against the Rajasthan Police levelled by the family of an AUDIT FINDINGS ■ Fully auto analysers worth ~13.19 cr bought without inviting bids ■ Purchase of hand sanitiser initiated from NW Overseas at ~160/bottle against ~54/bottle ■ Instead of ~30/litre sanitiser, surface disinfectant bought for ~1,800/litre the Punjab Government had ordered a special audit of the purchase that took place continued on page 9 STILLBORN CHILD’S BODY EXHUMED The Nuh police have exhumed the body of a stillborn child and sent it for post-mortem as the wife of accused ‘gau rakshak’ Shrikant alleged that she lost her pregnancy after being “attacked” by Rajasthan Police personnel, who came looking for her husband. The Rajasthan Police, however, have denied the allegations as ‘false’. accused ‘gau rakshak’. Nuh SP Varun Singla said the police were supporting their Rajasthan continued on page 9 IN BRIEF Tamil Nadu moves SC, challenges NEET NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu Government has moved the SC challenging the validity of NEET, alleging the single window common test is violative of the principle of federalism. PTI Excise ‘scam’: Sisodia skips CBI summons NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Min- ister Manish Sisodia on Sunday skipped CBI summons for questioning in connection with the excise policy ‘scam’ citing his pre-occupation with Budget preparations. BACK PAGE Emergency landing by AI Express’ Dubai flight NEW DELHI: An Air India Express flight from Dubai, with 156 passengers on board, made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday after a snag in the plane’s nose wheel. TNS