FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS VOL. 13 NO. 256 | BHOPAL | WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 28, 2024 | PAGES 18 r Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2021-2023; `3 r RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 QUALITY AT VALUE www.freepressjournal.in - BAZBALL OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, TEST MATCHES ARE ABOUT PLAYING ACCORDING TO SITUATIONS: KUMBLE SPORTS NATION MERA PEHLA VOTE DESH KE LIYE MESSAGE AMONG FIRST-TIME VOTERS WEATHER EDITIONS: INDORE, BHOPAL, UJJAIN, MUMBAI, PUNE 31.70c. 18.80c Sunrise : 06.50 Sunset : 06.29 A TRANSFORMATIVE TALE CINEMA PM reveals Fab 4 of Gaganyaan Mission INDIA TO HAVE its own space station by 2035: Modi THIRUVANANTHAPURAM /NEW DELHI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the names of the four astronauts--all IAF fighter pilots--for India's ambitious maiden human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan scheduled for next year. The Gaganyaan project envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an intended low earth orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bring them back safely to earth by landing in Indian sea waters, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO). If the indigenous space project estimated to cost Rs 90 billion succeeds, India will become only the fourth country to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the astronauts-designate at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. 4 DEAD AS HAILSTORM, RAIN LASH 11 DISTS LIGHTNING kills 2 kids, old woman in Shahdol WOMAN dies in Shajapur 15 GOATS killed in Betul OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal/Sehore/ Shivpuri/Chhatarpur Rain coupled with hailstorm and gusty winds lashed 11 districts in the state on Tuesday. While lightning claimed three lives including that of two children and an old lady in Shahdol, one woman died in Shajapur. 15 goats were killed in Betul due to lightning. Eleven district - Shivpuri, Sehore, Chhindwara, Betul, Khandwa, Narmadapuram, Damoh, Burhanpur, Bhopal, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh experienced hail storms which damaged standing Rabi crops like wheat and gram. CONTD. ON P8 SURVEY ORDERED CM Mohan Yadav has instructed the district collectors to immediately start survey of crop damaged by hailstorm and rain in state. CM said appropriate relief amount should be made available to farmers immediately. All ministers, MPs and MLAs should monitor the survey, the CM said. Gusty winds give tough time to commuters in Bhopal (Above) and damaged car near Patrakar Bhavan. GUSTY WINDS @ 74KM/H hit Bhopal, rain & hail follow Scindia’s flight sent back to Delhi TREES fall, power cut in many areas OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal.@fpj.co.in The dusty winds blew at the velocity of over 74 kilometres per hour in Bhopal on Tuesday evening. It was followed by rain and hail. The weather changed suddenly in the afternoon as winds gained speed. As a result, trees fell at many places. It led to load shedding in many areas and colonies. “The Delhi-Bhopal flight of civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia could not land at Raja Hail at Karond Mandi Bhoj Airport due to bad weather. It was sent back to Delhi. Another flight was diverted to Indore,” NAMES DOING THE ROUNDS Shivraj from Vidisha, Scindia from Guna or Gwalior, VD from Bhopal NEWS BRIEF Order reserved in Brij Bhushan case NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved its order on whether to frame charges against former WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case filed against him by women wrestlers. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot heard the submissions made by the complainants, the Delhi Police as well as the accused, also including Vinod Tomar, and reserved the order for March 15. Tomar is the former assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). CENTRAL POLL committee meeting in Delhi tomorrow OUR STAFF REPORTER BHOPAL The BJP has set up a panel for 23 Lok Sabha seats at a meeting with the members of the State Election Committee on Tuesday . The election committee already discussed six seats. The state party unit sent the names of candidates for these six constituencies to the central leadership. Now, the party's state unit will send the panel for all the 29 seats to Delhi. The state election committee discussed the rest of the seats. The state BJP sent its leaders to all the seats on Monday to get opinions of the party of- fice-bearers and workers about the candidates. These leaders banded over the reports in a sealed envelope to the party organisation. The state election committee discussed the reports at its meeting. Besides the opinions taken about the candidates, the names of a few other candidates also figured in the meeting, and a panel was set up accordingly . The name of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has been reportedly proposed for both Guna and Gwalior seats. Scindia may be fielded from one of the seats. In the opinion, the name of party's state president VD Sharma was discussed for Bhopal or for Khajuraho. Who will be fielded in place of Sharma, will be decided by the central leadership. CONTD. ON P8 airport director Ramji Awasthi said. According to Bhopal Municipal Corporation, trees fell in Khatlapura, Karbala, Lalghati, Lal Parade Ground and other places. It lead to load shedding in many areas. Hail lashed Lalghati, Karond and neighbouring areas. Central discom DGM (city circle) MP Siddiqui said, “Power cut was due to felled trees. Our team is working to remove fallen trees, which have broken the power supply line leading to load shedding in many areas of Bhopal in evening.” A trough line is passing through Chhattisgarh. “Secondly, cyclonic circulation is passing through Gujarat and northern belt of state. CONTD. ON P8 552 e-buses to run in six cities Double-engine planes at tourist spots OUR STAFF REPORTER city.bhopal@fpj.co.in Under Pradhan Mantri EBus Service, 552 e-buses will be operated in six cities of Madhya Pradesh. They would be operated in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore, Gwalior and Sagar on public private partnership (PPP) basis. A proposal in this regard was approved by the state cabinet on Tuesday . These big and id-size buses will help in reducing carbon emission. Moreover, up to 20-seater double-engine planes would be operated at tourist places on PPP model. The Chief Minister Urban Area Infrastructure Construction Scheme has been expanded and its cost has been increased till Rs 1100 crores. The duration of scheme has been also increased to 3 years from 2 years. Under the scheme, approvals would be given for works related to basic infrastructure in urban bodies. CONTD. ON P8 send a human into space after the Soviet Union, the US and China. Modi, who disclosed the names of the four astronaut-designates during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC) at Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram, also handed the 'astronaut wings' to the pilots of the Indian Air Force(IAF), who are currently undergoing rigorous training at various facilities in the country. They also underwent training for 13 Jamaat-e-Islami-J&K ban extended for five more years NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (Jammu and Kashmir) for five more years. The extension of ban reiterates government’s commitment to zero tolerance policy against terrorism and crackdown on separatist forces in the Kashmir Valley . Home Minister Amit Shah, taking to X, said that government has banned the outfit for five more years and asserted that anyone threatening the security of nation will face ruthless measures. "The organisation is found continuing its activities against the security integrity and sover, eignty of the nation. months in Russia. Addressing the audience at the space centre, the prime minister introduced to the nation Group Captains Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. The IAF pilots aged between 39-48 years have a flying experience in the range of nearly 2,0003,000 hours, according to IAF officials. Two of them are recipients of the prestigious 'Sword of Honour'. CONTD. ON P8 RS polls: Big upset for Cong in Himachal, wins 3 seats in K’taka HIGH DRAMA in Uttar Pradesh BANGALORE/LUCKNOW The Congress suffered a major upset in Himachal Pradesh at the hands of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections which were marred by cross-voting in all the three states though it won three seats in Karnataka while the saffron party is set to win big in Uttar Pradesh. Polling was held for 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, four in Karnataka and one seat in Himachal Pradesh. On February 20, 41 candidates including BJP chief J P Nadda, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan were elected unopposed to the Upper House. Himachal Pradesh saw cross voting that led to the victory of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan over Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Mahajan was declared winner by draw of lots after both the candidates were tied, securing 34 votes each. The result made it clear that nine MLAs voted in favour of the BJP. At present, the Congress has 40 MLAs, BJP 25 while three are independents in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly. There was high drama in Uttar Pradesh where amid concerns over cross-voting, SP chief whip Manoj Pandey quit while polling was underway. As many as eight SP MLAs also did not attend a meeting called by the Yadav on Monday. In Karnataka, five candidates were in the fray for the four seats, including D Kupendra Reddy JD(S). Those elected are Ajay Maken, G C Chandrasekhar and Syed Naseer Hussain (all Congress) and Narayansa K Bhandage of the BJP. CONTD. ON P8