FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. XLI No. 29 | INDORE | SUNDAY | JULY 7, 2024 | Pages 16 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 FREE www.freepressjournal.com Sports Shooter Jitu Rai retires from Army P.15 Free Press Green Run today Our Staff Reporter INDORE Free Press, the leading English Daily of Central India, is organising The Green Run, a mini-marathon on Sunday, to celebrate its 41 years in Madhya Pradesh and to promote awareness of the environment. The run will start at 7 am from Free Press House, Press Complex, to Shivaji Vatika, and back to Free Press. Reporting time for the run is between 6 am and 6.45 am. There has been a tremendous response to the mini-marathon from the people in the city. Registrations are free and started a week ago. Free Press, in association with Indian Oil, powered by Omaxe and supported by EverEnviro Resource Management PVT Ltd, is committed to providing a wholesome experience of a mini-marathon. It aims at igniting the spirit of saving the environment. The run is co-sponsored by Daly College of Business Management and Moira Sariya. Shreedhi Milk is the food partner, and Big FM is the radio partner. ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE PLAY & PAUSE Funds meant for workers diverted Nitendra Sharma A major irregularity has cropped up in the funds being collected for the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. Annual accounts of the Board have not been prepared since 2013; so the CAG has raised objection to the Board’s functioning. The CAG has advised the government to review the Board’s working. The CAG has written to the government several times drawing its attention to the Board’s working, but the situation did not change, the report said. In its report, CAG said that because there the annual ac- PUNE BHOPAL Past cases There have been several rip-offs in the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. The workers of Bhopal Municipal Corporation, who are alive, had been shown dead, and the funds meant for them had been appropriated. There were reports that the funds set aside for the wedding of labourers’ children had been siphoned off. counts had not been prepared, it would not be possible to comment on its correctness. The Board gave information without certified annual accounts which said that it had been given Rs 2, 026 crore in 2018-19, which was increased to Rs 2, 388 in 2022-23. According to reports, 1% of the amount meant for construction work is deposited as cess. The government depart- ment gives the money to the Board to spend it on the health, security and welfare of workers. As the accounts were not submitted, it is not known whether it was not prepared or it was not presented to the Accountant General or the funds were not spent on welfare of workers. Secretary to the Board Ratnakar Jha said he had no information about it. NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Nation ‘Our victory over BJP in Ayodhya defeated Ram temple movement’ P.7 Investigating the famous prisons turned tourist attractions P.13 CAG REPORT: Advises government to examine the functioning of Workers Welfare Board BHOPAL UJJAIN PRESS Cinema Trust the doctor P.16 Pezeshkian is new Iran prez AP DUBAI Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran's runoff presidential election Saturday, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country's mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic. Pezeshkian promised no radical changes to Iran's Shiite theocracy in his campaign and long has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter of all matters of state in the country. 4Continued on | P6 Greening the state with mother in mind 5.50 crore saplings to be planted in Madhya Pradesh Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said under “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam,” campaign, target has been taken to plant 5.50 crores saplings in Madhya Pradesh. In Bhopal and Jabalpur, 12 lakh each saplings will be planted. In Indore, 51 lakh saplings will be planted. He was speaking after participating in the campaign at Jamboree Ground here on Saturday. Taking the cue from PM’s clarion call, state government has also decided to undertake the campaign to plant sap- Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL\GWALIOR Gwalior as well as Chambal divisions recorded extremely heavy rainfall in last 24 hours leading to water-logging in various pockets. The region is likely to continue. The meteorological department has predicted heavy rainfall for next three days-- July 7, 8, and 9. Light to moderate flash flood risk is over South Sheopurkalan, Shivpuri, Sagar, Ti- kamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna in next 24 hours associated with heavy to very heavy rainfall, according to meteorological department officials. 4Continued on | P6 lings. The CM planted ‘Amla’ sapling in memory of mother late Leela Bai Yadav. He also inspected the pictures and drawings made by students to highlight the importance of environment. He praised stu- dents of NCC, NSA for taking part in the event. Mayor Malti Rai said that Bhopal Municipal Corporation has taken the pledge to plant 1.20 lakh saplings. 4Continued on | P6 Zorawar to help army take on China ANI HAJIRA (GUJARAT) Heavy rains in Gwalior-Chambal CM plants sapling in his mother’s memory In a major boost to Indian forces deployed opposite China in Ladakh, premier defence research agency Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and private sector firm Larsen and Toubro (L&T) are at advanced stage of trials of the indigenous Light Tank Zorawar. DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat today reviewed the progress made in the project at the Larsen and Toubro plant at Hajira in Gujarat. Developed in a record time of two years for high altitude areas of Ladakh, the tank is testimony to Indian progress in indigenous manufacturing. The DRDO and L&T have integrated USVs in loitering munitions in the tank learning lessons from the Russia and Ukraine conflict. The light tank Zorawar with 25 tonnes in weight and it is the first time, a fresh tank has been designed and made ready for trials in such a short time. 59 of these tanks will be provided to the Army initially and it will be a front runner for the major programme of 295 more of these armoured vehicles. The Indian Air Force can supply two tanks at a time in the C-17 class transport aircraft as the tank is light and can be run at high speeds in mountain valleys. 4Continued on | P6