01012024-TTC-01.qxd 2/1/2024 12:44 AM Page 1 13 IMRAN, WIFE GET 14-YEAR JAIL IN GRAFT CASE WORLD /thetribunechd PANNUN SHADOW OVER US ARMS DEALSBACK PAGE CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 31 | 18 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 thursday | 1 february 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Will return to present full Budget: Soren held by ED after he quits as CM, names Champai successor PM; slams Oppn over disruptions ANI Tribune News Service Says Interim Budget session chance for unruly MPs to redeem reputation Aditi Tandon DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY I have faith that this journey of development will continue uninterrupted with the blessings of people. Narendra Modi, PM Tribune News Service SNOW AT LAST Areas in upper Shimla have received the season’s first snowfall, ending a dry spell REPORT INSIDE Effluents: NGT sets up inspection panel SOLAN: Taking suo motu note of a news item, “Kasauli distillery dumps effluents into water source, supply affected’, which appeared in these columns on December 15, the NGT has constituted a joint committee to inspect the site and submit a report. The report had mentioned that Mohan Meakin Private Limited had dumped the effluents. INSIDE New Delhi, January 31 In his final pre-Parliament session remarks ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday displayed confidence of poll victory saying his government will return to present a full Budget later this year. The remarks came on the eve of the Interim Budget presentation by ❝ Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday. Flanked by his ministerial colleagues, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pral- had Joshi and MoS, PMO, Jitendra Singh, Modi launched a scathing attack on opposition MPs over disruptions and parliamentary ruckus, and said history would not remember disruptors. “Over the past 10 years, people chose the paths they wanted to choose in conducting themselves in Parliament. But I do hope that those habituated to creating ruckus, those habituated to violating and stripping democratic values, will introspect. Let them ask 10 people in their own parliamentary continued on page 12 New Delhi, January 31 Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday evening after over seven hours of questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. Hemant Soren Champai Soren The arrest came shortly after he tendered his resignation to Governor CP Radhakr- Varanasi court allows ‘puja’ in Gyanvapi mosque cellar Satya Prakash ishnan at the Raj Bhavan and named his close aide and Transport Minister Champai Soren as successor. All MLAs of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and allies Congress and RJD accompanied Hemant and Champai. Sources claimed 48-year-old Hemant was “evasive” in his continued on page 12 IN BRIEF Paytm Bank can’t take deposits after Feb 29 Tribune News Service Ahead of polls, high hopes from Interim Budget Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 31 Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Interim Budget on Thursday amidst high expectations from the common man and the industry alike. By convention, the Interim WHAT’S EXPECTED ■ Higher interest rate for women ■ Cheaper credit for housing ■ Higher outlay for rural growth ■ Focus on healthcare, education Budget is meant to cater to the financial needs till a new government takes over after the General Election. But expectations are high from the Interim Budget because it being an election year, most sections expect some benevolence on the lines of the Rs 6,000 Kisan Samman Nidhi announced in the run-up to the Interim Budget in 2019. The widespread expecta- tion is that there could be something for each section which would be modelled by Sitharaman as “Modi’s guarantees”. Among them are providing avenues to women to save at higher interest rates. Though taxation issues remain untouched in an continued on page 12 c m y b NEW DELHI: The RBI has barred New Delhi, January 31 A Varanasi court on Wednesday granted a Hindu priest the right to worship deities in the Gyanvapi mosque cellar (‘Tahakhana’) where all religious rites, rituals and practices were stopped in 1993, months after the demolition of the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992. Varanasi District Judge AK Vishvesha directed the Dis- Paytm Payments Bank Ltd from accepting deposits or top-ups in any customer account, wallets & FASTags after Feb 29. BACK PAGE The Gyanvapi mosque complex. PTI trict Magistrate to make arrangements in seven days to facilitate ‘puja’ and ‘raagbhog’ to be offered to the deities kept in the cellar by continued on page 12 Govt cuts import duty on mobile phone parts NEW DELHI: The government today slashed the import duty on parts used for manufacturing of mobile phones to 10 per cent from 15 per cent. TNS