24082025-TTB-01.qxd 8/24/2025 12:03 AM Page 1 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 233 | 20 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA FIRST IN 13 YEARS: PAK FM VISITS B’DESH TO RESET TIES WORLD /thetribunechd JEI-LINKED SCHOOLS’ TAKEOVER SPARKS POLITICAL STORM J&K A FITTING TRIBUTE TO THREE NOTABLE ART HISTORIANS SPECTRUM PM EXHORTS YOUTH TO POWER INDIA’S SPACE FUTURE BACK PAGE sunday | 24 august 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Agri, Russia oil, Pak mediation: EAM flags red lines for US ties Says won’t bend on farmers’ interests in trade deal Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 23 India has certain “red lines” in its negotiations for a trade deal with the US and it will stand firm in protecting the interests of farmers and small producers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, days before additional American tariffs on Indian goods are set to kick in. He termed the tariffs “unjustified and unreasonable”. He listed three issues to explain the recent upheaval in the India-US relations — red lines in opening specific sectors for US goods in India, Russian crude oil and India’s insistence on not accepting mediation with Pakistan. On trade negotiations, he said the two sides were still talking. “Negotiations are still going on. Nobody said the negotiations were off. People do talk to each other. We are two big countries, it’s not like there’s a ‘kutti’ (no communication).” He said India’s red lines were primarily in the interests of farmers and small producers, and New Delhi would not compromise on their External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar DOUBLE STANDARDS The EAM said tariff was “being presented” as a Russian oil issue. “The arguments that have been used to target India have not been applied to the largest oil importer — China,” he said. interests. “As a government, we are committed to defending the interests of our farmers and small producers,” Jaishankar said while speaking at a media event. He said the second issue — tariffs — was “being presented” as an oil issue. “The same arguments that have been used to target India have not been applied to the largest oil importer — China — and to CBI raids Anil Ambani’s house, RCom office in ~2,929-cr SBI fraud case along with the accrued interest and expenses with effect New Delhi, August 23 from August 26, 2016, and a The CBI on Saturday carried non-fund-based bank guarout searches at the Mumbai antee of Rs 786.52 crore, he residence of Reliance Com- had informed Parliament. munication Ltd (RCom) RCom is undergoing the director Anil Ambani and the corporate insolvency resolucompany’s official premises tion process under the Insolin connection with an alleged vency and Bankruptcy Code, bank fraud case. 2016. The resolution plan was The action took place after approved by the Committee of the CBI registered an FIR on Creditors and filed with the August 21 against RCom, Anil National Company Law TriAmbani, unknown bunal (NCLT), public servants and Mumbai, on March unknown others on 6, 2020. The NCLT’s the basis of a comapproval is awaited. plaint from the SBI, The bank had also which alleged a initiated a personal fraud and a loss of insolvency resoluRs 2,929.05 crore. tion process under The accused the IBC against Anil allegedly misrepreAmbani and it was Anil Ambani sented and got sancbeing heard by the tioned credit facilities from NCLT, the minister said. the SBI in favour of RCom. According to the SBI comThe allegations pertain to plaint, now part of the FIR, misutilisation and diversion RCom, Reliance Infratel Ltd, of loan funds, potential rout- a step-down subsidiary of ing of loan funds, inter-com- RCom and Reliance Telecom pany loan transactions, misu- Ltd, a subsidiary of RCom, tilisation of sales invoice cumulatively received Rs financing, discounting of bills 31,580 crores from banks. of RCom by Reliance Infratel The forensic audit done in Ltd, movement of funds 2020 mapped the utilisation through inter-corporate of funds obtained from deposits and write-off of capi- banks, which flagged deviatal advances given to Netizen tions in funds received and Engineering Pvt Ltd, a group utilised by RCom. The utilicompany of Reliance ADA sation was not as per the Group, and creation or write- terms of sanction, it alleged. off of fictitious debtors. It is alleged that Rs 13,667.73 The issue also echoed in crore (44 per cent) were the Lok Sabha last month. utilised for repayment of “On June 24, the SBI report- loans and other obligations ed classification of fraud to to banks and FIIs, and Rs the RBI and is also in the 12,692.31 crore (41 per cent) process of lodging a com- to pay to connected parties. plaint with the CBI,” MinisThe audit underlined that ter of State for Finance Rs 6,265.85 crore obtained Pankaj Chaudhary had said from banks through loans in a written reply. were utilised for repayment of The SBI’s credit exposure other bank loans, Rs 5,501.56 in RCom included a fund- crore of loans were used for based principal outstanding paying related and connected continued on page 7 amount of Rs 2,227.64 crore the largest LNG importers — European nations,” he said. Two days ago in Russia, Jaishankar had said the US punitive measures against India were “perplexing”. Jaishankar said the Joe Biden administration knew about India’s oil trade with Russia through a series of “explicit conversations”, following which a price cap came into being. The Russian oil was capped at $60 a barrel and had now been reduced. The third issue was regarding mediation. The minister said India did not accept any external mediation, especially when it came to its relationship with Pakistan. Jaishankar said India had every right to take decisions in its national interests. “And I would say that’s what strategic autonomy is about,” he said. Earlier this week, he visited Russia, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin, Deputy First PM Denis Manturov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He also co-chaired the 26th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation. Sergio Gor Trump aide Gor appointed US envoy to India Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 23 The US has appointed Sergio Gor as the new Ambassador to India, a move that comes amid recent tensions following the imposition of punitive tariffs on India by President Donald Trump. A trusted aide of Trump, Gor will fill a vacancy in New Delhi that has existed since January, when former Ambassador Eric Garcetti was recalled after the new administration took office. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said, “I am pleased to announce that I am promoting Sergio Gor to be our next United States Ambassador to India.” He said the importance of having someone he can “fully trust to deliver on my agenda” in the continued on page 7 India suspends postal services to US amid Trump tariff war Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 23 Amid a raging tariff war, the Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles destined for the US with effect from August 25. However, services will continue for letters, documents and gift items worth up to $100. The exempt categories would continue to be accepted and despatched to the US subject to further clarifications, the Ministry of Communication said in an order. Customers who had already booked articles but the same couldn’t be despatched to the US due to prevailing circumstances may seek a refund of postage, the ministry said. The decision by the Department of Posts has been taken following an executive order issued by the US administration on July 30 under which duty-free exemption for goods valued up to $800 was withdrawn with effect from August 29. All international postal items destined for the US, regardless of their value, shall be subject to customs duties as per the countryspecific International Emergency Economic Power Act (IEEPA) tariff framework, RAIN MAYHEM IN U’KHAND CUSTOMS DUTY ON GOODS VALUED OVER $100 ■ Postal services to continue for letters, documents and gift items worth up to $100 ■ Customers whose articles were booked but couldn’t be despatched may seek refund ■ The US issued an order on July 30 levying duty on goods valued over $100 from Aug 29 the ministry said. As per the US decision, transport carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other ‘qualified parties’ approved by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), were required to collect and remit duties on postal shipments. While the CBP issued certain guidelines on August 15, PTI several critical processes relating to the designation of “qualified parties” and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined. Consequently, US-bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after August 25, citing lack of operational and technical readiness. “In view of the above, the Department of Posts has decided to temporarily suspend booking of all types of postal articles, destined for the US with effect from August 25 except letters, documents and gift items up to $100 in value. These exempt categories will continue to be accepted and conveyed to the US, subject to further clarifications from CBP and USPS,” the order said. The department was closely monitoring the evolving situation in coordination with all stakeholders and every effort was being made to normalise services at the earliest possible opportunity, it added. Economic think tank GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava said under the new regime rolled out by the US, all inbound parcels will attract tariffs, but international postal shipments would remain duty-free until the CBP established a new entry continued on page 7 Complainantheld in Dharmasthala case NEW DELHI: The complainant, who had alleged multiple murders, rapes and burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades, was arrested on Saturday by the SIT probing the charges. The complainant, who had so far appeared before the probe panel wearing a mask, has been identified as CN Chinnaiah. He was remanded in SIT custody for 10 days. INSIDE Illegalbetting:K’taka Cong MLA arrested NEW DELHI: Karnataka Congress MLA KC Veerendra “Puppy” was arrested on Saturday under the anti-money laundering law from Sikkim in an alleged illegal betting case, the ED said. It seized Rs 12 crore, gold worth Rs 6 crore, silver about 10 kg along with four vehicles following raids on Friday. BACK PAGE Gangster extradited from Azerbaijan NEW DELHI: Gangster Mayank Singh was brought back to Ranchi by the Jharkhand Anti-Terrorist Squad on Saturday following his extradition from Azerbaijan. He is wanted in over 50 cases registered in Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Punjab. He is said to be a key member of the notorious Aman Sahu gang. BACK PAGE Land given to Wangchuk institute to be taken back Adil Akhzer Tribune News Service A woman was killed and another person went missing after a cloudburst struck Tharali town of Chamoli district on Saturday. A number of houses and shops were damaged, and vehicles buried. Several agencies, including the NDRF, SDRF and ITBP, are engaged in relief and rescue operations. This comes over two weeks after a flashflood wreaked havoc in Uttarkashi’s Dharali. INSIDE Srinagar, August 23 The Ladakh administration has cancelled the land allotment to the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), founded by climate activist and education reformist Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent face in the UT’s movement for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to the region. Wangchuk called the move a “witch-hunt” to suppress the demands of the people. The order has come a month after BJP leader Kavinder Gupta was appointed the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. Leh Deputy Commissioner Romil Singh Donk said (in his order dated August 21) that the land measuring 1,076 kanal and one marla (over 53.8 hectares) Sonam Wangchuk Climate activist key face of Ladakh statehood stir allotted to the HIAL on a 40year lease “had not been used for its intended purpose”. “No university (as recognised by law) has been set up to date…. The land stands escheated to the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council and the Leh Tehsildar shall remove all the encumbrances from the site as per provisions continued on page 7 Hoshiarpur tanker blast toll 3; Mann grants ~2 L relief For Mandi health worker, no stream too big in line of duty Hoshiarpur, August 23 The death toll in the Hoshiarpur LPG tanker fire incident rose to three after one more person succumbed to burn injuries on Saturday. Earlier, two people were killed and 21 others injured when an LPG tanker exploded after another vehicle collided with it late on Friday night on the HoshiarpurJalandhar road. The police said the blaze spread rapidly, engulfing nearly 15 shops and four to five residential houses in the vicinity. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and free treatment for the injured. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria expressed grief over the incident. INSIDE Mandi, August 23 In a display of extraordinary courage and dedication, a female health worker from Tikkar village in Mandi district risked her life by leaping across a swollen stream to report for duty at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Sudhar, located in the floodravaged Chauhar valley. The incident highlights the dire situation faced by residents and frontline workers in the Silhbuhani and Sarsawan panchayats, where torrential rain and flashfloods in recent days have caused massive destruction. With bridges washed away and roads completely damaged, movement in the area has become not just difficult but life-threatening. The flashfloods had wreaked havoc across villages in the Dipender Manta Roads washed away, braves raging waters to provide care Tribune News Service DEVOTED TO WORK Kamla of Tikkar village was determined to report for duty at the CHC in Sudhar, even as natural barriers stood in her way. As missing duty could affect healthcare services in the area, she jumped across a swollen stream to reach the centre. << Kamla, a health worker, jumps across a swollen stream to report for duty in Mandi. Chauhar valley. Makeshift footbridges and pathways across khuds (seasonal streams) and nullahs (drains), which serve as the only means of connectivity for remote hamlets, have been washed away. Local residents, including daily commuters and government employees, are now forced to take dangerous routes or risk wading through fast-flowing waters Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including six-page Spectrum. to reach their destinations. On Friday, a female health worker, Kamla, a resident of Tikkar village, was determined to report for duty at the CHC in Sudhar, even as natural barriers stood in her way. With regular access routes destroyed and no alternative transport available, Kamla walked over 4 km through a treacherous terrain. The final challenge came when she faced a gushing stream, swollen from continuous rain. Knowing that missing her duty could affect critical healthcare services in the area, she mustered courage and jumped across the stream — putting her life at risk to ensure patients were not left unattended. “It was dangerous, but duty is important. The health centre depends on us,” she said, speaking modestly about her brave act. Praising the brave act of Kamla, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Mandi, Dr Deepali Sharma, said, “I appreciate the dedication of Kamla towards her duty. She went to a village for the immunisation of a child. “I urge all health workers to take safety measures while on duty and avoid risking their lives,” the CMO said. This year, one fatal incident was reported from Seraj Mandi, when a person lost his life while crossing a water stream. In another incident, two persons, who were swept away by a gushing stream while crossing, were rescued by villagers. The challenges are not unique to Kamla alone. Several healthcare and government workers in the flood-hit region are facing enormous risks to ensure basic services continue in these remote parts.