FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. 14 No. 201 | BHOPAL | FRIDAY | JANUARY 3, 2025 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Won’t be surprised if Rohit retires from Test: Shastri P.16 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN MONEY PUNE INDORE NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Edit Manipur: An apology sans action P.8 India’s mfg growth hits 12-month low in Dec Cinema Mr. & Mrs. Malik P.14 UNION CARBIDE WASTE DISPOSAL | Yadav allays doubts about waste saying residents of Bhopal had been living with it for 40 years Barely any toxic substance in UC waste: CM CS got three points probed WASTE lying outside the factory will also be removed SUCH waste loses toxic effect after 25 years Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that there is no poisonous substance in the chemical waste of Union Carbide (UC). Yadav made the statement at a press conference on Thursday. Yadav dispelled all doubts about the UC waste which was shifted from the factory site on Wednesday night, saying the residents of Bhopal had been living with it for forty years. He said all the waste lying outside the abandoned factory site would also be removed. Yadav further said the government had removed the waste after receiving orders from the Supreme Court. In the waste, there is 60% of soil, 40% of 7naphthol and other chemicals, he said. Naphthol is used as an in- fp Briefs NEW DELHI Modi condemns US car attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday strongly condemned the "cowardly terrorist attack" in New Orleans, which claimed at least 15 lives and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy." LOS ANGELES Cybertruck explodes At least one person was killed and seven wounded when a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside a hotel belonging to US President-elect Donald Trump in Las Vegas, police said Wednesday. The electric vehicle pulled up to the Trump International Hotel's glass entrance before a "large explosion," Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters. Video footage shows the stainless steel truck parked at the hotel entrance before bursting into flames, followed by smaller explosions that appeared similar to fireworks. McMahill said there was "one deceased individual inside the Cybertruck" while seven people received "minor" injuries. PITHAMPUR BANDH TODAY Chief Secretary Anurag Jain got the entire issue examined on the basis of three points. These points are: the impact of the chemicals on the health of the residents in nearby villages, on crops and on quality of water sources. After the examination, it came to light that the removal of UC waste would not pose any hazard to public health. gredient in making pesticide, Yadav said. According to scientists, the impact of such chemicals end after 25 years, and 40 years have passed since the gas tragedy occurred, so there should not be any fear that the chemicals will pose hazard to public health, he said. The Central Government s scientific institutions, like National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and Central Pollution Control Board examined from time to time the process for shifting the waste, he said. 4Continued on | P6 Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL I-T sleuths have carried out major raids on the residential and official premises of some builders. The I-T Department has attached the properties worth crores of rupees, belonging to builders Rajesh Sharma and his wife Radhika Sharma. According to sources, nearly 24 properties have been attached. The registry value of the properties is Rs 40 crore, but its market rate is more than Rs 200 crore. The income-tax officer has written to the IG (registration) and senior district registrar of Bhopal advising them not to register any property owned by Rajesh Sharma and his wife. The department is also taking dealing with the properties purchased by Sharma and his wife in the name of other people. The properties of Radhika Sharma, attached by the I-T Residents protest against UCC waste disposal at Maharana Pratap Bus Station Bharat Dholi PITHAMPUR/MHOW Protests have erupted in Pithampur against the disposal of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) waste with residents expressing fear over health and environmental risks. On the call of the Pithampur Bachav Samiti, Pithampur Kshetra Raksha Manch, Sanyukt Trade Union Sangharsh Samiti and others, a 'Pithampur Bandh' will be Department, included five plots in Central Park, two plots of land in Huzur, land in Barkheda and a palatial bungalow and several plots purchased by Rajesh Sharma. I-T sleuths carried out raids on the residential and official premises of Sharma and other builders on December 18. Besides Sharma s firm Trishul Construction, the IT sleuths raided the premises of Quality Builders and Ishan Builders. After the raids, the department grilled Sharma. Now, they will question Sharma and his wife about the source of money they had to buy such properties. They will also question whether the income-tax was paid on the properties purchased by them. If the sleuths are not satisfied with the replies given by Sharma, they may take action, considering that the properties were purchased in the name of other people (Benami). Mahendra Goenka quizzed The income-tax officials questioned a businessman from Raipur, Mahendra Goenka, whose name cropped up in Rajesh Sharma case. Goenka, who reportedly gave a huge amount of money to Sharma, purchased lands in areas adjacent to Bhopal. It came to light during the I-T raids. Goenka has been questioned about all these issues observed on Friday to oppose the incineration of the toxic waste, emphasising the need for safer disposal methods to protect the community. In addition to the BJP and Congress, social and political organizations have joined the protest and street vendors will also close their businesses in protest. Many factories have also announced their day off. On Wednesday, the protesters gathered at Maharana After raids, CM removes transport commissioner Replaced by Vivek Sharma Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has shifted the transport commissioner after corruption in the department raised dust across the state. Yadav transferred DP Gupta and posted ADG (planning) Vivek Sharma as commissioner of the Transport Pratap Bus Station after marching through the town, voicing serious concerns about the environmental and health implications of burning the toxic waste in the region. An activist, Sandeep Raghuvanshi, also launched an indefinite hunger strike. The speakers at the event highlighted the existing challenges faced by residents due to industrial pollution, including contaminated groundwater and increasing air pollution. Housing and urban minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday said that Union Carbide waste would be incinerated only after people and people’s representatives’ nod. During a meeting with residents of Indore and Pit ha m p u r in Indore, he asked them not to be worried over the issue. He said, "We are equally worried. We did not let the government sleep last night over this issue. It is crucial to allay public's fears and doubts about the toxic waste." During the meeting, Vijayvargiya questioned officials about a 2015 incident wherein 10 tons of hazardous waste was incinerated, asking whether residents of Pithampur were informed back then. The officials could not provide a satisfactory answer. New Delhi The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would hear a plea against an order on the survey of a medieval-era "Bhojshala" in Madhya Pradesh which people from two communities stake claim to, apart from pleas against the 1991 places for worship law. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti said the issue appeared to be covered by the December 12 order of the apex court restraining courts in the country from entertaining fresh lawsuits and passing orders in disputed claims over religious structures. The bench directed the registry to seek instructions from PTI DP Gupta Department on Thursday. Gupta was posted as ADG in the police headquarters. Gupta was made transport commissioner in February last year. He was transferred from the position within 11 months of his posting. The decision to transfer Gupta was taken after the raids carried out on the residential premises of a former constable of the Transport Department. During the raids, a major corruption came to light. 4Continued on | P6 A 30-year-old Indian man crossed over illegally into Pakistan to meet a Facebook friend he wanted to marry, but instead found himself behind bars. And the woman told the local police she does not want to tie the knot. Badal Babu from the Aligarh district of Uttar Pra- desh was arrested last week in the Mandi Bahauddin district of Pakistan's Punjab province (some 240 kms from Lahore) for illegal border crossing. Babu attempted to cross the border illegally to meet the Facebook friend with whom he wanted to marry. Police have recorded the statement of Babu's Facebook friend Sana Rani, 21, who said she wasn't inter- ested in marrying him. "In her statement to police, Sana Rani says that Babu and she have been friends on Facebook for the last two-and-a-half years. But she is not interested in marrying him," a Punjab police officer, Nasir Shah, told PTI on Thursday. He said Babu illegally crossed the border and reached Sana Rani's Maung village in Mandi Bahauddin, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and tagged the matter with the pending petitions. It left all contentions of the parties to be kept open during the hearing of the petitions. During a brief hearing, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for Hindu parties, said the issue of Bhojshala Kya bol rahe hain: Nitish after Lalu's offer to join INDIA bloc PATNA Vivek Sharma Survivors of gas tragedy have intensified their demand for a comprehensive clean-up of approximately 11 lakh metric tonnes  of hazardous waste from the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) plant. So far, the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department (BGTRRD) has only managed to remove 337 metric tonnes of chemical waste, which was transported for incineration following a directive from the High Court. In response to the survivors’ demand, Commissioner (Gas Relief) Swatantra Kumar Singh said that ‘as per the HC order, 337 MT of toxic wate is being cleaned up.” The push for a thorough clean-up is rooted in a 2010 report by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI). This report revealed significant soil contamination at the UCC site, with toxic substances such as BHC, aldicarb, carbaryl, naphthol, and mercury found in PLACES OF WORSHIP LAW CHALLENGE Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday came up with a cryptic response to RJD president Lalu Prasad's offer to return to the INDIA bloc. "Kya bol rahe hain (What are you saying)" was all the JD(U) boss said in reply to queries from journalists about Prasad's fresh offer. Kumar had aligned twice with the RJD, a constituent of the INDIA bloc, in the last one decade. Prasad's son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, however, sought to downplay the remarks made by his father, in an interview to a local news channel, claiming that the RJD supremo had merely tried to satisfy the curiosity of the prying media. Prasad had said, "Our doors are open (for Nitish). He should also unbolt his gates. This would facilitate movement of people from both sides". The remark, coming in the backdrop of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's stance on projecting the JD(U) supremo as NDA's face in the assembly polls due in less than a year, triggered intense speculations in a section of the media here. Kumar was approached with queries by journalists at Raj Bhavan, where he attended the swearing-in cer- Aligarh man’s tryst with love ends in Pak jail PTI Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL alarming quantities. The total volume of contaminated soil is estimated at  650,000 cubic meters, equivalent to about 11 lakh metric tonnes. In response to the crisis, BGTRRD has initiated clean-up operations, removing  337 metric tonnes  of hazardous waste and transporting it to a facility in Pithampur for incineration. This operation was executed Concerns raised about potential water contamination due to inadequate disposal methods under strict security measures to ensure safety during transport. The incineration process is expected to take between  three to nine months, depending on safety assessments. Activists, including Rachna Dhingra from Bhopal Gas Information and Action (BGIA), said that the removal of just 337 metric tonnes represents "the tip of the iceberg." 4Continued on | P6 SC to hear plea against Bhojshala survey offgrid ALIGARH Clear toxic waste ugently: Activists INDORE I-T attaches assets worth crores of builder Rajesh, wife Our Staff Reporter Waste to be disposed only after people’s nod: Vijayargiya where he was arrested by law enforcers. When asked whether Babu met Rani, the police officer said he couldn't confirm this. It is also not independently confirmed whether Rani gave a statement to the police refusing to marry Babu under pressure. However, a source told PTI that officials of an intelligence agency quizzed Rani and her other family members over her relationship with Babu. Upon his arrest, Babu narrated his "love story" to the police. Babu was detained under Pakistan's Foreign Act sections 13 and 14 as he was travelling without any legal documents. Later, he was presented before a court, which placed him in judicial custody for 14 days. 4Continued on | P6 emony of Arif Mohammad Khan as the new governor. Flanked by Khan and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary (BJP on either side, Kumar folded his hands and smiled when his comments were sought on the offer from Prasad. Pressed further, he asked, "What are you saying". When a pointed query was made, as to whether the state government would be able to complete its term, Khan intervened and said, "This is not the occasion for a question of this type. Today is a happy day. Let us only talk about good things". Later, the posse of journalists approached Yadav, a former Deputy CM and the current leader of the opposition, who had also come to attend the function. 4Continued on | P6 wouldn't be covered by the December 12 order as it was protected and maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. The bench said it was only tagging the matter to be adjudicated by the pending petitions but if any party had a grievance, it would first take up the contempt plea alleging excavations at the site, 4Continued on | P6 B’desh court rejects Hindu monk's bail petition PTI DHAKA A court in the southeastern port city of Chattogram on Thursday denied bail to Hindu monk and former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in a sedition case. A group of 11 lawyers stood for him during the hearing. "The hearing continued for some 30 minutes when (Metropolitan Sessions) Judge Mohammad Saiful Islam heard both the prosecution and the defence lawyers and then rejected his bail petition," a court official said. Das, formerly with ISKCON and now a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote organisation, was arrested in Dhaka on November 25. Gukesh, Manu picked for Khel Ratna Award IANS NEW DELHI World Chess champion Gukesh D and Paris Olympics and Paralympics medallists - Manu Bhaker (shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey) and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete) are to be conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 by President of India Droupadi Murmu at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced on Thursday. Gukesh recently became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after outclassing China's Ding Liren in the title battle in Singapore. Manu became the first Indian athlete to win twin medals in a single edition of the Games in Paris, following a double bronze in the 10 m air pistol and 10 m air pistol mixed team event. see sports pg