25052025-TTC-01.qxd 5/25/2025 12:38 AM Page 1 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 143 | 20 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 KOMAGATA SHOWS HOW CANADA FAILED TO KEEP UP VALUES: PM WORLD /thetribunechd DEPLOY ANTI-SABOTAGE TEAMS TO SECURE YATRA, SAYS DGP J&K CELEBRATING ART DECO FROM BOMBAY TO PATNA SPECTRUM GOVT TO ASSESS US’ REMITTANCE TAX IMPACT ON INDIA BACK PAGE sunday | 25 may 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com to Help make India a developed nation by 2047, Indus treaty tillremain in abeyance Pak ends Modi reaches out to states at Niti Aayog meet terror: India at UNSC At 10th Governing Council event, PM stresses need for foreign investment Animesh Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 24 In a major outreach to states, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday sought their cooperation in realising the aim of making India a developed nation by 2047. He underlined the significance of foreign investment in achieving this objective. Chairing the 10th meeting of Niti Aayog’s Governing Council, the theme of which was Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047, Modi said it was the aspiration of every Indian to see the country as developed. He said it was not the agenda of any party but the aspiration of 140 crore Indians. Animesh Singh Tribune News Service STALIN SEEKS 50% SHARE IN CENTRAL TAXES INSIDE He said if all states worked together towards this goal, the aim could be achieved before 2047. Modi said India had emerged among the top five economies and 25 crore people had escaped poverty. He said India needed to increase the speed of this transformation and asked states to leverage their manufacturing strengths. The PM observed that continued on page 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren during the 10th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI HARYANA SETS $1 TN ECONOMY GOAL HP PITCHES FOR ‘GREEN BONUS’ Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini presented the Vision Document-2047, highlighting the state’s contribution in achieving the national goal of ‘Developed India @2047’ at the NITI Aayog meet. He said the Vision Document had set a target of transforming Haryana into a $ 1 trillion economy by 2047. INSIDE HP CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday reiterated that Himachal should be given a “green bonus” for protecting forests and higher allocation of funds in the wake of rising cost of development works. Attending the NITI Aayog meet, Sukhu sought a ban on the import of Turkish apple. INSIDE Monsoon enters Kerala, earliest since 2009 Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 24 The southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on Saturday against its normal date of June 1. This is the earliest onset of monsoon over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it reached the southern state on May 23. The entry of southwest monsoon, which accounts for 75 per cent of India’s rainfall, determines the monsoon season over the rest of the country. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the country on an average would witness above-normal rainfall. A good monsoon season boosts agricultural production and keeps food inflation in check. Mann demands Yamuna share, flags BBMB ‘bias’ Heatwave conditions in region till May 27 A woman and a child ride a scooter amid rain in Thiruvananthapuram. PTI The IMD said weather conditions were favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into parts of central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, entire Goa, and parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, west central and north Bay of Bengal in the next two to three days. The Met Department said parts of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would experience heavy rainfall till May 26. Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions would prevail in many places of west Rajasthan from May 24 to May 27 and in isolated pockets of east Rajasthan during May 24-26, it added. Jammu, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will witness heatwave conditions till May 27. New Delhi, May 24 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday reiterated the demand for a share in the Yamuna waters, saying the state didn’t have surplus water to give to neighbouring Haryana. He also accused the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) of bias in releasing water to Haryana. CM Mann, during his intervention at Niti Aayog’s Governing Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also sought a grant of Rs 2,829 crore to tackle the drug trafficking problem and bolster border security. The funds would be utilised for upgrading infrastructure, jail security and de-addiction centres, Mann said while citing 53,000 arrests and 3,579 kg seizure of heroin in the state. The CM urged the Centre to install 50 additional jamming systems to counter drones along the 553-km border that Gujarat Titans recently, the BCCI is betting on Gill’s HE prince, the heir temperament, confidence, apparent to the Indian assertiveness and leadership Test cricket, has finally skills, thinking that he is been coronated today. their man to take the Indian Shubman Gill (25), whose Test team forward. family famously moved from Chairman of India’s selecthe rural hintertion panel Ajit land in Fazilka to Agarkar said, “We cricket savvy take a feedback Mohali to pursue from a lot of people, their son’s dream, and we’re hopeful has finally been that he’s the guy made the Indian who can... it’s obviTest team captain ously going to be, for India’s tour of like it always is, a England, beginhigh-pressure job. ning June 20. But we’re hopeful His coronation we’ve picked the Shubman Gill heralds a new era right guy. He’s a of Indian cricket in the post- terrific player and our best Kohli and Rohit phase. Gill wishes for him.” Besides accohas been preferred over the lades from veteran crickmuch-senior Jasprit Bumrah, eters, Gill’s grooming by forRavindra Jadeja, KL Rahul mer India coach Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar BCCI considers him a long- and off late GT coach Ashish time investment. Nehra has prepped him for Having led India in five the captaincy role. Agarkar T20Is on a tour of Zimbabwe explained that Bumrah was last year, the Punjab Ranji overlooked for captaincy due continued on page 6 team and IPL franchisee T Navneet Rathore Tribune News Service Shimla, May 24 In a major showdown among top police officials over the handling of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi death case, Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi today accused DGP Atul Verma’s staff of having links with a drug peddling syndicate. Verma is slated to retire the state shares with Pakistan. He sought infrastructure grants for border resilience so as to ensure a comprehensive development of six border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Pathankot. Elaborating on the vexed water sharing issue, Mann pointed out that in the wake of the grim water situation in the state, the Centre should consider the construction of a Yamuna-Sutlej Link (YSL) canal, instead of the SutlejYamuna Link (SYL) canal. Mann added that the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej were already water deficit, therefore the diversion should be made from surplus to deficit basins. Punjab had repeatedly sought its inclusion in the negotiations for the allocation of the Yamuna waters, as continued on page 6 SOLIDARITY WITH POONCH VICTIMS PTI New Delhi, May 24 Making its stand clear at the United Nations, India has said the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) would remain in abeyance until Pakistan ends its support to cross-border terrorism. Addressing the UN Security Council meeting in New York late on Friday, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Pakistan was spreading “disinformation” on the IWT. He was addressing the UNSC meeting on “Protecting Water in Armed Conflict – Protecting Civilian Lives”. Harish said, “India has INTRUDER SHOT, SPY HELD IN GUJARAT The BSF shot dead a Pakistani intruder attempting to enter from the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat, an official said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad arrested a contractual health worker posted in Kutch for allegedly sharing sensitive information with a Pak spy, officials said on Saturday. announced that the treaty will remain in abeyance until Pakistan, which is a global epicentre of terror, credibly and irrevocably ends its support to cross-border terrorism. It is clear that it is Pakistan which remains in continued on page 6 Two Maoists killed in Centreratifies 8.25% Jharkhand gunfight rateonEPF forFY25 LATEHAR (JHARKHAND): Two Maoists, including JJMP supremo Pappu Lohra, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand’s Latehar district on Saturday, the police said. Lohra carried a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. A Maoist and a policeman were also injured in the encounter. — PTI NEW DELHI: The government has ratified the rate of interest on employees’ provident fund (EPF) at 8.25% for FY25, enabling retirement fund body EPFO to deposit the annual interest accumulation in the post-retirement funds of over 7 crore subscribers. The EPFO had on February 28 decided to retain the rate of 8.25% on EPF deposits. — PTI Tharoor says will not be silenced by terror as panel leaves for US Tribune News Service Congress leader &LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met kin of those killed in the recent Pakistan shelling & visitedanaffectedgurdwara in Poonch, J&K, on Saturday. He vowed to highlight their plight at the national level and termed the damage caused a “big tragedy”. This was his second visit to the UT since Pahalgam attack. New Team India captain Day after CBI gets Negi case, Shimla Gill to face England Test SP accuses DGP’s staff of drug link Gaurav Kanthwal Seeks ~2,829 cr to fight drug trafficking, bolster border security Tribune News Service ‘MATTER SUB JUDICE’ Sources in the police headquarters refuted the allegations, saying “it is not appropriate to respond to such vague unsubstantiated allegations when the matter is sub judice” this month-end. This comes a day after the Himachal Pradesh High Court raised questions over the SIT probe into the case and handed it over to the CBI. SP Gandhi said the SIT would move court against the order, even though no such statement had been made by any other senior functionary. Sources said a CBI team today visited the SP office for the handover of case records, but it was denied possession. continued on page 6 Yunus to continue as B’desh’s interim govt chief, says aide DHAKA: Muhammad Yunus will remain the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, an adviser in his cabinet said on Saturday, two days after a key ally said he had mulled resignation. “He (Yunus) did’t say he will leave. He said while we face many obstacles... we are overcoming them,” planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud told reporters. INSIDE TMC MP TEARS INTO PAK New Delhi, May 24 India’s diplomatic outreach post-Operation Sindoor continued on Saturday with an all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor leaving for the US and another led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda arriving in Bahrain. Meanwhile, separate allparty delegations to Russia and Japan concluded their visits with “constructive meetings” with diplomatic leaderships discussing global fight against terror and India’s response to crossborder terrorism. Before leaving for the US, Tharoor, who is leading a multi-party delegation to five countries, said the country would not be silenced by terrorism. “...we are going to speak about this horrendous crisis (Pahalgam attack) we were subjected to in which our country was attacked by terrorists in the cruellest possible way,” he said in a video message on X. The Tharoor-led panel also has BJP’s Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kali- In Tokyo, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee said if terrorism is a “rabid dog”, Pakistan is its “vile handler”, and the world must unite to tackle it. “We will not yield to fear. We have learnt to respond in a language that they understand,” he said during a fiery speech. ta and Tejasvi Surya, LJP’s (Ram Vilas) Shambhavi Choudhary, TDP’s GM Harish Balayogi, Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora, JMM’s Sarfaraz Ahmad and former Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. In Moscow, a delegation led by DMK MP K Kanimozhi concluded its visit after holding a wide-ranging discussion on counter-terrorism and briefing the “tried and tested” friend Russia on Operation Sindoor. Russia reiterated its decisive commitment to “an uncompromising joint fight” with New Delhi against all forms of terrorism. Kanimozhi described the Russia visit as a “great opportunity continued on page 6 Rats ‘trigger’ breach in Bhakra canal at Patiala; timely action averts flooding Aman Sood Tribune News Service Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh points to rat burrows along the canal near Passiana village in Patiala. PHOTO: RAJESH SACHAR Patiala, May 24 Perhaps it’s time for the Punjab Irrigation Department to have a Pied Piper to lead rats away from canals and ensure they do not weaken canal banks and cause flooding. A breach in the Bhakra Main Line near Passiana village in Patiala today was reported timely and plugged that saved acres of nearby fields from flooding. Irrigation officials were Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including six-page Spectrum. INSPECT ALL CHANNELS: MINISTER Punjab Minister for Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation Barinder Kumar Goyal on Saturday directed the Irrigation Department to “carry out on-ground inspections of all canals” across the state as “rats create burrows during periods of low water flow”. quick to blame rats for the breach. Later, two Punjab Cabinet ministers visited the breach site and “directed the officials to tackle the rat menace properly to avoid such incidents in the future”. Hundreds of rats in the vicinity of the canal continue to make burrows on the canal bank walls and dig deep when the water level is down. “Sometimes, they dig too deep and weaken the bank walls, which can lead to breach of water from these holes. This is exactly what happened in Patiala today,” said an official. Punjab Minister for Water Resources and Soil and Water Conservation Barinder Kumar Goyal today directed the Irrigation Department to “carry out on-ground inspections of all canals” across the state as “rats create burrows during periods of low water flow”. The Cabinet Minister expressed satisfaction that due to the alertness of the department, the leakage in the Bhakra Main Line was identified and plugged in time. continued on page 6