www.freepressjournal.in | twitter.com/fpjindia Reg. No. Mcs/048/2018-20; RNI No. 1541/1957 I M.p.c.s office Mumbai-400001 AMAZON WAS FULLY AWARE OF TALKS WITH RIL FOR SALE: FUTURE Pg 13 CRUMBLING FORTRESS OF MAMATA BANERJEE? AAHANA KUMRA TALKS OTT, MOVIES, THEATRE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN Pg 20 VACCINATION COUNTDOWN 270c. 210c. Sunrise: 07:13 am Sunset: 06:15 pm Vol. 64 No. 213 | WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 6, 2021 | 15 Pages | EDITIONS: Mumbai*, Pune, Indore, Bhopal, E-Paper BETWEEN THE LINES OUR BUREAU New Delhi Cars plough through a snowed in road in Srinagar on Tuesday. BUDGET ON FEBRUARY 1 The Union budget will be presented in Parliament on February 1, an NDTV report said on Tuesday citing sources. It added that President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint session of Parliament on January 29. The budget session will be in two parts – the first phase will begin on January 29 with President Kovind's address and end on February 15. The second phase will run from March 8 to April 8, the sources added. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs or CCPA. The centre had last month cancelled the winter session because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many MPs had contracted the virus despite strict anti-Covid measures. TRACTOR MARCH: R-DAY REHEARSAL The vaccination countdown has begun. This indication came from the Health Ministry which said on Tuesday , it is prepared to undertake the first phase of inoculation within 10 days from the date of authorisation – that is, anytime before January 14. However, the final decision lies with the government. Addressing a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said healthcare workers and frontline workers need not register themselves as their database has been transferred to the CoWIN vaccine delivery management system. There will be automated allocation of vaccination session via the CoWIN application. One of the authentication methods would be the Aadhaar card. For now, the public can't register on CoWIN as only officials have access to it. The application has data of 75 lakh health officials who will be first in line for the jab. A day after the talks with the Centre hit a dead end, the protesting farmers announced that they will intensify their agitation against the three contentious agriculture. Swaraj India's Yogendra Yadav, who has been rallying around the protesters, said on Tuesday that a tractor march will be organised at four Delhi borders on January 7 to press for their demands - repealing the laws and giving legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. The leader called the march a "trailer" before the massive Republic Day agitation. BRAZIL CLINICS EYE COVAXIN Private Brazilian clinics plan to buy 5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by India’s Bharat Biotech, their association said on Monday in a statement. Bharat Biotech has not yet applied for approval from Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa for its Covaxin vaccine. Geraldo Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics who will lead a delegation to India departing on Monday, said a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with Bharat Biotech. “This should be the first vaccine available in the private market in Brazil,” he said. The plan is for the 5 million doses of Covaxin to arrive in Brazil in mid-March. Pg 12 0 UK MUTANTS 2 and tracking of any possible adverse effects after a person gets the vaccine. The government said multiple dry runs have been held to test the software in the field at various stages of its development. It said over 90,000 people in 700 districts have been trained to use the software. sted people have te Twenty more oV-2, NEW STRAIN: new UK variant of SARS-C try e cases in the coun positive for th of such the number taking the total cases have been identified at ese The new ne. All th IV) Pu to 58. n in te of Virology (N National Institu en kept in single room isolatio te be by respective sta persons have th Care facilities been designated Heal eir close contacts have also act sive cont ments. Th govern prehen mily arantine. Com put under qu initiated for co-travellers, fa her ot been tracing has sequencing on hers. Genome contacts and ot g on, the ministry said. ens is goin specim For data of those above 50, the ministry will refer to the electoral rolls and feed that data into CoWIN. ‘‘We will then open it for public. If an individual finds that his or her name is not there they can approach the district or block officer and can get their name registered. They can also self-register. Those below 50 who have cardiac diseases or cancer, they can upload their medical certificate into the system," said Dr Suneela Garg, member of the Delhi COVID-19 task force. It is understood that SMS in 12 languages will be sent to guide those waiting to get vaccinated and health workers engaged in inoculation. VACCINE TRUCE A QR code based vaccination certificate will be issued after all the doses are given and people can store it in their mobile phone. There will be a 24x7 helpline. As a part of this eco system, there is a plan to create a unique health identity for those who wish to have it. There will be close reporting PM BORIS REALISES UK NEEDS HIM MORE Not coming for Republic Day; England put into full national lockdown which will last till mid February OUR BUREAU New Delhi Battling through a “critical moment” in the coronavirus pandemic, which has been exacerbated due to a new highly transmissible variant of the deadly virus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday cancelled his forthcoming visit to India. He had accepted an invite to be the chief guest of the Republic Day parade on January 26. Johnson decided to stay put in his country even as the , UK began its third Covid-19 lockdown on Tuesday with the citizens ordered to stay at home and the government Farmers feeling the strain as they play the waiting game EDIT UK ghost towns calling for one last major national effort to stem the virus before mass vaccinations turn the tide. "The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a Downing Street spokeswoman said. She was quoted in a report from London as saying that "in the light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the prime minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus." The complete shutdown of schools and businesses in the UK is similar to the very first nationwide lockdown imposed in March 2020. "As I speak to you our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time," said Johnson. He revealed that the number of hospital patients has increased to nearly 27,000, almost a third higher than the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in April 2020. He, however, stressed that there is "one huge difference" compared to the lockdown of last year. CONTD. ON P11 Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India, the two domestic vaccine makers who were on Monday slugging it out in public domain, on Tuesday put out a joint statement pledging for a smooth roll out of the antidote, saying saving lives and livelihoods was the most important task for them. On Sunday Adar Poonawalla, , the Serum Institute’s CEO, had set a cat among pigeons by stating that vaccines other than that of Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca were "as safe as water." The remark had drawn much flak from Bharat Biotech’s Krishna Ella, who had held a detailed press conference defending their vaccine. CONTD. ON P11 No channel can telecast ads on religious items NARSI BENWAL Mumbai In a significant ruling, the Bombay High Court has held that no TV channel or actor must propagate advertisements to sell certain religious items with a claim that the product could enhance the lives of human beings. The high court has held that any TV channel, company or actor found promoting any such products would be prosecuted for cheating as well as under provisions of the Black Magic Act. The two-judge bench of Justices Tanaji Nalawade and Mukund Sewlikar said it was every citizen's fundamental duty to develop a scientific temperament. This spirit of inquiry and reform, in turn, needs to be read into the Black Magic Act. CONTD. ON P11 Vada-pao goes State to decide on reversal of waiver to Wizcraft with Jalebi-Fafda Sena launches snack diplomacy to woo Gujaratis: 'Mumbai Ma Jalebi Fafda Uddhav Thackeray Apda' SANJAY JOG Mumbai An army marches on its stomach, it is said. An army of voters too could be lured with snack diplomacy going , by the Shiv Sena's crisp, sweet-sour overtures to the Gujarati community Ahead . of the ensuing elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and nine other civic bodies in 2021 and 2022, the Shiv Sena, is making a serious bid to woo Gujaratis, who are traditionally BJP , supporters. A select group of 100 members of the Gujarati community will gather on Sunday in a western suburb, for an event with the tagline, “Mumbai Ma Jalebi Fafda Uddhav Thackeray Apda.” This is the first such 'appetiser' to checkmate the BJP , which has launched Mission Mumbai 2022 with a resolve to elect its own mayor and end the rule of the Shiv Sena in India’s richest civic body . Gujaratis account for 25 per cent of Mumbai's population. During Aaditya Thackeray's assembly election campaign in Worli, the Shiv Sena had lured Gujaratis with posters that asked, 'Kem Cho Worli?' (How are you Worli). “Apart from strongly pursuing the Marathi Manoos plank, the Shiv Sena, which is heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with the NCP and the Congress, proposes to consolidate its strength by luring nonMarathi speaking populations. Vada-Pao goes well with Jalebi- Fafda,’’ said a senior minister. As a poll strategy the Shiv , Sena will reach out to the Gujarati-dominated areas including Mulund, Ghatkopar, Vile Parle, Andheri, Goregaon, Kandivli and Borivli, with the MVA government’s successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic and also the launch of a slew of development projects in the city . This apart, the Shiv Sena will expose the Centre over its flop demonetisation scheme, the GST regime and the handling of the economy amid the pandemic. CONTD. ON P11 SANJAY JOG Mumbai The Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday will decide on the reversal of a waiver given to the event management company Wizcraft for the Michael Jackson concert it had helped organise in 1996. The then Sena-BJP government had granted an entertainment tax waiver, stating that the event was a charity event organised under the now defunct Shiv Udyog Sena, then headed by Raj Thackeray . The profit from the show, amounting to Rs 3.4 crore, has been deposited in the court registry since a dispute was lodged by the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat. FPJ EXCLUSIVE MICHAEL JACKSON EVENT The then Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government had provided a waiver under section 6(3) of the Maharashtra Entertainment Duty Act, 1923. The high court had recently directed that the cabinet decide on reversing the waiver, which means the entire amount, along with interest, may have to be given to the organiser. Interestingly however, the , Shiv Udyog Sena, and not Wizcraft, was listed as the organiser of the concert. How- ever, in court, Wizcraft has claimed the profits. The issue has been listed on the agenda for the cabinet meeting on Wednesday . However, there is a political angle to the cabinet proposal, given the estrangment between Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray The Raj Thacker. ay-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has recently gone saffron, changing the colour of its party flag. There have been talk of a possible alliance between the MNS and the BJP . Even though both parties insist there is no truck between them for the BMC elections, both are on the same page when it comes to the issue of action against illegal residents CONTD. ON P11 Co-operation stimulates communication and finding of mutually satisfying solutions to problems SC opens up vistas for PM’s project, 2 to 1 Brahma Kumaris OUR BUREAU New Delhi By a majority judgment of 2 to 1, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Central Vista Project and construction of a new Parliament building, the dream projects of PM Modi who wishes to change the face of the national capital. The court held that there is no infirmity in the approvals accorded by the Delhi Urban Art Commission and the Heritage Conservation Committee. In a 432-page majority judgment, the court observed that the government's decision to change the land use for the project was "just and proper" and so was the clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The court, however, ordered setting up of smog towers of adequate capacity as an integral part of the new Parliament building and use of smog guns at the construction site. It also directed the MOEF to install smog towers in all future major development projects, particularly in cities with track record of bad air quality . It also ordered that prior permission of the Heritage Conservation Committee be taken before the actual start of construction work, and not in the incipient stage of planning and formalisation. In his 179-page dissenting judgment, Justice Sanjiv Khanna quashed the notification of March 28, 2020, on changes in the land use of six plots in the Central Vista, taking note of the petitioners' main grievance that the project was hurried without proper public consultation, and ordered fresh public scrutiny . Justice Khanna gave seven grounds for dissenting from the majority judgment. His basic reservation was that there has been no public participation in the decision; also, there was no prior ap- NOTE OF DISSENT J ustice Khanna gave seven grounds for dissenting from the majority judgment. His basic reservation was that there has been no public participation in the decision; also, there was no prior approval of the Heritage Conservation Committee and the Expert Appraisal Committee of the MOEF. Mere uploading the gazette notification on land use change was not sufficient, he ruled.  He also said the project involves complete redevelopment of the Central Vista area whose impact would not be "minor." The proposed project rather envisages extensive change of the landscape. He also noted that the environment clearance was given mechanically, without application of mind as no reasons were recorded justifying the conclusion. proval of the Heritage Conservation Committee and the Expert Appraisal Committee of the MOEF. Mere uploading the gazette notification on land use change was not sufficient, he ruled. He said the project involves complete redevelopment of the Central Vista area whose impact would not be "minor." He said the proposed project rather envisages extensive change of the landscape. CONTD. ON P11 Fire in Shirdi-Borivli bus A private bus headed from Shirdi to Borivli caught fire while plying on the Eastern Express highway bang opposite , Jupiter Hospital in Thane, on Tuesday evening. The 21 passengers were immediately evacuated to safety by the Thane fire brigade. The blaze was brought under control with the help of two fire engines. There were no casualties. Priyanka Dhomse A temporary loss of 'Fortune' for Ganguly? LAST WORD F FPJ NEWS SERVICE Kolkata ormer India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly's 'Fortune' cookie may have crumbled. Advertisements for Fortune rice bran oil, touted as good for heart and featuring the current president of the BCCI, were dropped after Ganguly suffered a heart attack ast week and underwent angioplasty . Ganguly whose condition , is now said to be stable, endorses the product from the Gujarat-based Adani Wilmar group -- a joint venture between infrastructure conglomerate Adani Group and Singapore’s Wilmar. Formed in 1999, the Rs 30,000-crore turnover firm sells cooking oil under the ‘Fortune’ brand. It was Kirti Azad's dig which set the trolls on the former cricketer: “Dada @SGanguly99 get well soon. Always promote tested and tried products. Be Self conscious and careful. God bless.” In no time the product was being pilloried heavily on social media. A distraught Ogilvy & Mather, creative agency for the brand, is looking into the issue and working on a fresh redressal campaign. Did the company which sells 'heart healthy oil' have an overnight change of heart? The company insists the BCCI chief was not dropped as the brand am- bassador and the commercials would soon be back on air, PTI reports. "We shall continue to work with Sourav and he will continue to be our brand ambassador. We have only taken a temporary break in our TV commercial till we again sit with Sourav and take things forward. This is a very unfortunate incident and can happen with anyone," Adani Wilmar Deputy CEO Angshu Mallick told PTI. CONTD. ON P11