FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 158 | INDORE | FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 15, 2024 | Pages 18 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Four wickets could pave way to Down Under P.16 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE UJJAIN MONEY PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Welcome verdict on z‘bulldozer raj’ P.8 ‘Indian economy to grow at 6.5-7% annual rate till 2027’ Cinema Unaware of gift’s illicit origin P.15 SMOG STIFLES DELHI, CHOKES CHANDIGARH SC HEARING The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to urgently list on November 18, a plea seeking enforcement of measures to check pollution in the national capital after it was told that Delhi should not become the most polluted city in the world. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih agreed to list the matter after senior advocate Aprajita Singh, who has been appointed as amicus curiae, requested for urgent hearing looking at the prevailing situation in Delhi. GAS CHAMBER A thick layer of smog engulfs the Kartavya Path as the air quality deteriorates to Severe category, in New Delhi on Thursday GRAP III BANNED UNDER GRAP III The third phase of antipollution measures that are implemented when AQI reaches 'Severe' (401 to 450). CAQM had called the early-morning dense smog an "episodic event" CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION ACTIVITIES: A strict ban on non-essential construction and demolition work, with exceptions for projects critical to national security, healthcare, and certain public infrastructure projects. VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS: Ban on the operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi and parts of the NCR like Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Noida. RESTRICTIONS on use of diesel generator sets for emergency purposes only. Industrial operations not running on fuels in standard approved list banned. GRAP III will not be imposed yet as the situation was expected to improve from Friday Gopal Rai, Environment minister 300 FLIGHTS HIT According to Flightradar 24, over 300 flights were been delayed at Delhi Airport. 115 flights arriving in Delhi since 12 am, and 226 departing flights have been delayed, the flight tracker website said Coming back to Delhi from Wayanad where air is beautiful and AQI 35, was like entering a gas chamber. The blanket of smog is shocking when seen from the air. Delhi's pollution gets worse every year. We really should put our heads together and find a solution. It's beyond this party or that, it's practically impossible to breathe especially for kids, elders and those with respiratory issues. We just have to do something about it. Priyanka Gandhi PM to virtually UNSETTLING MOVES: One list issued every five days inaugurate two museums today Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL/SHAHDOL Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in a function to be held on the National Tribal Pride Day at Jamui, Bihar, on Friday. At the function, Modi will virtually inaugurate two tribal freedom fighters’ museums of Madhya Pradesh. The museums to be dedicated by Modi to the nation are Badal Bhoi Tribal Freedom Fighters’ Museum in Chhindwara and Raja Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah Freedom Fighters’ Museum in Jabalpur. 4Continued on | P6 73% OF IAS OFFICERS SHUNTED IN 10 MNTHS Transfer orders issued 68 times during this period Nitendra Sharma BHOPAL Another transfer list of officers will soon be issued after the recent administrative reshuffling in the state. On an average a transfer list of IAS officers has been issued after every five days in the past ten months since the new government took over the reins of power. Transfer lists of IAS officers have been issued 68 times in ten months. It happened, although there was no transfer of officers for two and half months when the model code of conduct was in place because of the Lok Sabha election. At present, 385 officers of the MP cadre are working. After the BJP came to power KHALISTANIS TO CANADIANS: GO BACK TO UK FP News Service OTTAWA In an eyebrow-raising twist worthy of satire, a recent "Nagar Kirtan" parade in Canada saw pro-Khalistan demonstrators calling on Canadians—yes, Canadians— to pack up and ship out. The message, captured in a twominute video that's now making the rounds online, was bold: “This is Canada, our country. You [Canadians] go back to England and Europe.” The irony of separatists demanding the “original” Canadians head back to their “ancestral” lands seems lost on the participants, who insist Canada now belongs to them. Locals in Surrey, British Columbia, were treated to declarations that “white people should go back to Europe and Israel,” in a public display of who really "owns" Canada. But while the rhetoric may be laughable to some, Indian intelligence agencies are raising the alarm, claiming this isn’t just fringe noise but a “new nor- There are a few officers who have been transferred thrice or four times after the government formation mal” in Canadian society. “There’s a gradual shift where Khalistani groups are claiming space and influence within Canadian borders, and even Canadians aren’t immune,” warned one Indian intelligence source. With whispers of extortion schemes and “protection fees” targeting locals, some fear that this growing faction is aiming to tighten its grip on the Canadian community and economy alike. DALLA EXTRADITION: Back in India, officials are watching closely, with recent developments intensifying the already tense diplomatic standoff. The extradition of Arsh Dalla, the so-called Khalistan Tiger Force chief, now tops India’s agenda. Branded a terrorist at home, Dalla’s Canadian arrest has sparked hope in New Delhi that he might finally face the music for his alleged crimes—crimes that, by Indian estimates, include everything from terror financing to extortion and multiple murder cases. 4Continued on | P6 Only 1 ACS, 1 PS stay put Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary play key role in government functioning. After the government formation, the department of an ACS and that of a PS were not changed. ACS of Panchayat and Rural Development Department Malay Shrivastava and PS of Tourism and Culture Department Sheo Shekhar Shukla have not been changed. Besides the duo, the officers of all other departments have been transferred. Collectors of 21 districts not shifted The collectors of several districts not been changed. There are 21 districts in the state where collectors have not been shifted after the government formation in December last year. Once the work of voters’ list is over, collectors of several districts may be changed. Collectors of Khargone, Datia, Bhind, Shivpuri, Sehore, Satna, Rewa, Barwani, Tikamgarh, Ashoknagar, Raisen, Dhar, Dewas, Agar, Mauganj, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Morena, Maihar, Pandhurna and Alirajpur have not been changed. Bid to extradite terrorist Dalla New Delhi: India will follow up a November 10 request to Canada to extradite terrorist Arshdeep Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, the de facto chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. In a statement on X, the ministry said a court in Canada's Ontario had listed its extradition request for hearing and that it had sent separate requests to verify financial details as provided last year. 4Continued on | P6 for the second time, out of 385 officers, 282 were transferred several times. There are a few officers who have been transferred thrice or four times after the government formation. The officers, like Smita Bhardwaj, Sanjay Dubey, Manish Rastogi, Deepali Rastogi, Umakant Umrao, Sukhveer Singh, Vivek Porwal, and Navneet Kothari who have transferred thrice and four times in the past few months. Many officers have the responsibilities of more than one department. So, to balance their work, more transfers may take place in the coming days. Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Houses of Dalits in village Ghota under Vijaypur assembly constituency had allegedly been set on fire in poll-related violence late Wednesday evening. Police have however denied the claim. They said that there were number of claims and counter-claims. Sheopur SP, Virendra Jain told Free Press that in village Ghota, under Vijaypur police station the incidents occurred. ‘First it was reported to the police that the houses of Dalit community were set on fire. The police team rushed to the village and found that the fodder of Bajra crop was set on fire’, he said. He added that the police stayed in the village till 12.30 The cops have registered an FIR for damaging the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar in the same village am. When the situation calmed down, they left the village. Later in the morning, a complaint was raised again in which it was alleged that the statue of Dr Ambedkar was damaged. The police have registered a case against unknown miscreants and have taken statements of few villagers. They were however, unable to disclose who had damaged the statue. Whereas, the police have registered a case and have begun investigation. HC to NHAI: Repair Rau-Dewas highway within four weeks Polling %age drops in Budhni and Vijaypur after tabulation Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Our Staff Reporter INDORE Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday directed National Highway Authority of India to repair the heavily damaged DewasRau highway within four weeks, following a public interest litigation (PIL) raising issues of public safety and traffic flow. The directive was issued by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice SA Dharmadhikari. The PIL, filed by petitioners Tanishq Patel and Mayank Chondhri, highlighted the risks posed by the highway’s rutted condition. Represented by advocate Amit Raj, the petitioners argued that the poor state of the road had long caused traffic congestion and heightened the risk of accidents. “The court acknowledged the urgency of the matter, instructing NHAI to expedite the repair process. NHAI’s counsel informed the court that repair work was ongoing around the clock but efforts so far had been limited to constructing a new bridge. However, the petitioners contended that the guidelines issued by the Government of India on March 16, 2023, mandating proper traffic diversions for National Highway projects, were not being followed by NHAI. “The court’s order is expected to accelerate road repairs, enhancing the safety and convenience of the public and ensuring compliance with national guidelines for highway maintenance,” Patel said. The Chief Electoral Officer has announced the final voting percentage in two assembly constituency, here on Thursday. While Vijaypur recorded 77.76% it was 77. 07 % in Budhni. Polling took place in the two assembly constituencies on Wednesday. There was a slight change in the figures of voter turnout trend, released by the office of CEO, on Wednesday, and the final numbers released on Thursday. The CEO, Sukhveer Singh informed that in Vijaypur constituency 79.14% male voters and 76.24% female voters have exercised their franchise. Similarly, in Budhni assembly constituency 80.10% male voters and 73.82% female voters had casted their votes. Importantly in this figure the data of postal ballot and absentee voters are not included. 4Continued on | P6 2 minors rape minor, detained Piyush bemoans RBI’s food inflation fixation in rate cut Our Staff Reporter INDORE Two minor boys were detained for allegedly gang-raping class VIII girl in Malharganj on Thursday. One of the accused had called the girl to a place on the pretext of meeting her old friend.   Additional DCP (zone-1) Alok Sharma informed Free Press that in her complaint the 15-year-old victim said that she befriended a 16-year-old boy from Aerodrome area a few months ago but later stopped talking to him. Later she received a call from boy’s friend who asked her to come near a temple in Pologround ares on November  4. However, on reaching the spot she found a 16-yearold boy with a two-wheeler. Introducing themselves as friends of the boy, they said that the boy was waiting for her and took her to a house in Kaveri Nagar. However, at the house, they allegedly sexually assaulted her. The victim claimed that they tied her legs with a scarf and even made a video of the incident. Later, they dropped her somewhere. After keeping mum for two days, the victim shared her ordeal with her parents, who later took her to Aerodrome police station to lodge a complaint. 4Continued on | P6 offgrid Hindu American Tulsi is Don’s intel chief IANS It was an ideological 180-degree turn because she had been associated with the Democratic Party's Left NEW YORK US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Hindu American Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat member of Congress, to his cabinet as the Director of National Intelligence. "Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through POLL VIOLENCE: Dalit houses set ablaze Strength," Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday announcing his pick for the post. "For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans," Trump said referring to her rank as a Lieu- tenant Colonel in the Army Reserve serving in the Iraq War. She quit the Democratic Party and formally joined the Republican Party this year and campaigned for Trump, urging Indian Americans to vote for him. She will become the second Hindu on the US cabinet, after Arati Prabhakar, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, now serving with Biden. After a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, Gabbard said, "India is the world's largest democracy and one of the United States' most important partners in the Asia-Pacific region." 4Continued on | P6 AGENCIES MUMBAI Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goel on Thursday said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should cut interest rates and give an impetus to growth. Using food inflation, which restricted the RBI from any rate action for two years, is a "flawed theory", the Chartered Accountant-turned-politician said at an event hosted by CNBC TV18. "I certainly believe they should cut interest rates, growth needs a further impetus. We are the fastest growing economy in the world, we can do even better," Goyal said. Speaking at the same event later, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das declined to comment on the senior minister's suggestion, saying that the sixmember rate setting panel will take the appropriate call at its next meeting scheduled in December first week. Goyal's demands found a resonance in finance industry veteran Deepak Parekh, who advocated that the RBI cut both its repo rate and consider the cash reserve ratio (CRR). Chief Economic Advisor G Anantha Nageswaran had made the suggestion that food inflation be excluded in the headline inflation computation. Goyal said he has been a proponent of the exclusion of food inflation in rates for the last 20 years, even when he was in the Opposition. "I've been consistently saying it's a flawed theory that food inflation should be considered while deciding on the interest rate structure. 4Continued on | P6