DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2024, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY President turns down mercy plea of Red Fort attack convict on death row SC had dismissed Arif’s review plea in 2022 DIVYA A NEW DELHI, JUNE 12 PRESIDENT DROUPADI Murmu has turned down the mercy petition of Mohammed Arif alias Ashfaq, a Pakistani national and amemberof theLashkar-e-Taiba who was sentenced to death in the December 2000 Red Fort attack in which three Army personnel were killed. According to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the mercy petition of Arif, received on May 15, was turned down on May 27. Thisisthesecondmercyplea rejectedbyPresidentMurmuaftersheassumedofficeonJuly25, 2022. In April last year, the President rejected the mercy plea of Vasant Sampat Dupare, convicted of raping and killing a four-year-old in Nagpur. In Arif’s case, the Supreme `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 PRIME MINISTER CONDOLES DEATHS, SAYS EMBASSY MONITORING Around 40 Indian workers among 49 killed in Kuwait building blaze Carpenters to delivery boys: Indians are in demand, living conditions poor Over50injuredin fireincident;MoS settoleavefor Gulf nationto overseeassistance SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, JUNE 12 AT LEAST 49 people, around 40 of them Indians, died early Wednesday morning after a fire brokeoutinanapartmentbuilding where they were staying near Kuwait City. Theincidenttookplaceinthe Mangaf area, south of Kuwait City, which is heavily populated with migrant workers. Around 200 workers were living in the six-storey building where the fire incident took place, according to local media reports. Kuwait Times quoted Major General Eid Al-Owaihan, head of the interior ministry’s General DepartmentofCriminalEvidence, as saying, “Unfortunately, we receivedareportofafireat...exactly 6:00 am (0300 GMT) in the Mangaf area.” “Asforthedeathsinthebuilding behind me, the number has exceeded35sofar,”hesaid,standing at the site. Kuwait’s interior ministry later updated the toll to 49, and Indian officials said around 40 are Indians. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir JaiswalsaidMinisterof StateKirti VardhanSinghwillbeleavingfor Kuwait on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to DIVYA A NEW DELHI, JUNE 12 India’s Ambassador to Kuwait Adarsh Swaika visits one of the injured Indian workers in a hospital in Mangaf Wednesday. (Below) The six-storey builing where the fire broke out. PTI ‘He was to get his daughter admitted to college’: Many livelihoods snuffed out SHAJU PHILIP THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 12 A MECHANIC who became a supervisor, an electrician who learntaccountancy—thosewho perished in the Kuwait fire had worked their way up to a better life, so they could sustain their families back home in Kerala. Among them was 48-yearold Vadakkottuvilayil Lukose, a supervisor with NBTC group, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Shameer Umarudheen from Kollam worked as a driver which has K G Abraham, a businessmanfromKerala,asitsmanaging director. Lukose hailed from Adichanalloor panchayat in Kollam, and had been in Kuwait CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CARPENTERS,MASONS,domestic workers, fabricators, drivers and even food delivery riders and courier delivery boys — to a very large extent, Kuwait depends on the Indian workforce. With a million-strong diaspora and the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, Indians constitute 21 per cent of Kuwait’stotalpopulationand30 per cent of its total workforce. According to the latest statistics released by the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) of Kuwait, the population of Kuwait was 4.859 million (1.546 million citizens and 3.3 million expatriates) as of December 2023. Of this, labourers and workers comprised 61 per cent of the total population (almostthreemillion)and75per cent of the country’s total expat population. The Indian community remains the largest expatriate community in Kuwait and has already crossed the one million mark. Often living in harsh conditions — cramped rooms in semiconstructed buildings or in labour camps like the one in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Why Bihar, Andhra are unlikely to get special status, may get package instead NEW DELHI, JUNE 12 INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS within thegovernmentsuggestthatthe demandforspecialcategorystatus by the BJP’s two key allies, TDP and JD(U) for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, will be hard to meet since there are several states which may need a higher percentage of grants given their socio-economic and fiscal health. One of the biggest benefits for states classified as a special category earlier was that 90 per cent of funds under centrally sponsored schemes was contributedbytheCentre,withonly 10 per cent being the state contribution. For all other states, the split was 60:40 with the Centre contributing just 60 per cent. Further, Normal Central Assistance from the Union government for special category states comprised 90 per cent grants and 10 per cent loan; for other states, it was 30 per cent grants, and 70 per cent loans. The Central government fears that opening such a window for Andhra Pradesh and E EXPLAINED AANCHAL MAGAZINE More funds, projects ● likely IF NOT special category status, the BJP-led government may be willing to allocate extra funds to states for specific projects. For example, it may extend more loans to build Andhra’s capital or even plan central projects in Amaravati. Bihar will trigger similar demandsbyotherstates,especially those which are stressed for resources, and are backward. The sources said, support for the two states held by the allies, could be in the form of special packages, like funds for building acapitalcityAmaravatiinAndhra PradeshormoreCentralprojects for the city, the sources said. “The Planning Commission ceased to exist and the Finance Commission did away with the conceptofspecialcategorystatus. Even then the special treatment CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PROBE ON AFTER ENCROACHMENT CLAIMS Under-construction Swaminarayan temple near Morbi’s Julto Pul gets demolition notice The Swaminarayan temple construction site near the eastern tower of the Jhulto Pul suspension bridge in Morbi. Express GOPAL KATESHIYA RAJKOT, JUNE 12 A DAY after the civic body in Morbi served a demolition notice to an under construction Swaminarayan temple, District Collector KB Jhaveri on Wednesday said that he has formed a multi-disciplinary committee to look into alleged encroachment. The District Collector swung into action aftersocialworkerKDPanchasara, advocate Dilip Agechaniya and two others submitted an application at his office on May 27. SPORT GUJSAIL EX- CEO BOOKED OVER CORRUPTION OF Rs 72 LAKH T20 WORLD CUP: INDIA IN SUPER 8 AFTER 7-WICKET WIN OVER USA PAGE 4 Chandrababu takes oath as Andhra CM for fourth time with team of 24 SREENIVAS JANYALA HYDERABAD, JUNE 12 TELUGU DESAM Party president NChandrababuNaiduwassworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth term Wednesday at a ceremony at GannavaramnearVijayawadathat was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leadersof NDAallyBJP. Naidu, who won the recent Assembly election from his hometurf Kuppamfortheeighth consecutive time, took oath at 11.27 am. This was the second time he took oath of office after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. His previous two tenures were before the bifurcation. Apart from the Prime Minister,theeventwasattended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president and Union Minister J P Nadda, along with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Bandi Sanjay Kumar and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Majhi takes oath as CM, BJP forms its first govt in Odisha SUJIT BISOYI BHUBANESWAR, JUNE 12 ODISHA’S FIRST BJP Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took oath of office Wednesday along with two Deputy Chief Ministers, eight Cabinet ministers and five Ministers of State with independent charge at a grand swearing-in ceremony at Janata Maidan here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, half a dozen Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of at least nine BJP-ruled states joined the event. Outgoing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also attended the ceremony. “It’s a historic day in Odisha! With the blessings of my sisters and brothers of Odisha, @BJP4Odisha is forming its firstevergovernmentinthestate.Iattendedtheswearing-inceremony inBhubaneswar.Congratulations CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 PAGE 17 Gujarat govt publishes draft rules for gaming zones, invites public suggestions by June 25 GANDHINAGAR, JUNE 12 Modi attends return of partner in Andhra, his own party’s debut in adjoining Odisha CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 GUJARAT PARIMAL DABHI PM Narendra Modi greets N Chandrababu Naidu after the latter was sworn-in as the CM of Andhra Pradesh in Vijayawada, Wednesday. (Right) Odisha’s CM-designate Mohan Charan Majhi meets former CM Naveen Patnaik, in Bhubaneswar. PTI In their application, Panchasara and Agechaniya alleged that parts of the under construction temple precincts encroached the bed of Machchhuriveratthesitewhere 135 people were killed after the Jhulto Pul collapse on October 30,2022.Intheirapplication,the four claimed that the construction by the Swaminarayan sect was constricting the course of theriver,whichcanspelldisaster in the event of a flood. “A Swaminarayan temple is being constructed in Morbi and aspartof itsdevelopment,itwas THE GUJARAT government, which has swung into action after the Rajkot TRP blaze that claimed 27 lives, Wednesday published a set of draft rules to regulate amusement rides and gaming zones in the state. The draft rules have been published on the state home department website so that people cansubmitsuggestionsorobjections, said government spokesperson and senior minister Rushikesh Patel. The suggestionsorobjectionshavetobesent by June 25, he added. The final rules will be notified after that. Among others, the proposed rules stipulate slip-resistant flooring, buildings be made of non-inflammable materials and not to have cooking facilities inside the amusement parks and gaming zones. Provisions have also been made for a licensing authority and a city/district ride safetyandInspectioncommittee. Theobjectivebehindtheproposed Gujarat Amusement Rides and Gaming Zone Activities (Safety) Rules-2024 is to ensure that such tragedies do not take place again, said Patel. The government will not hesitate to take action against even senior officials or elected representatives, he added. RULES PROPOSED ■ Display board in English and Gujarati with details of the licence. ■ Fire retardant material for all construction of closed premises. ■ Functioning fire hydrant/sprinkler system to be installed. Central fire alarm system. ■ Separate entrance and exits for the public. At least two emergency exits on each floor. ■ Exit points should not be less than 5 feet wide. ■ No cooking in the premises, slip-resistant flooring. ■ NOC for use and storage of hazardous and petroleum products. ■ Insurance cover ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh in case of accidents. As many as 27 persons, including children, were charred CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 On Armed Forces table: Let double the Agniveers stay back, train them longer PAGE 1 ANCHOR AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, JUNE 12 THE ARMED Forces are discussing possible tweaks to the Agnipathschemeformilitaryrecruitment including changes in the retention percentage of Agniveers from the current 25 per cent and increase in their training period. Thisfollowsfeedbackfromthe threeservices—asurveywasconducted recently — that flagged certain issues with the scheme, The Indian Express has learnt. These changes, however, are not yet formal recommendations to the government. These are proposals that are still being discussed by the Armed Forces. One of the changes to the scheme being discussed within theArmyisincreasingtheretentionpercentagefromthecurrent 25 per cent to 60-70 per cent for regular troops and nearly 75 per cent for technical and specialist soldiers,includingSpecialForces. The feedback collated by the Armyhasindicatedlackof cohesivenessandcamaraderieamong the Agniveers and a tendency to compete, and not collaborate, to get absorbed, leading to lack of trust between the Agniveers. “Thisisnotadesirablequality intheArmedForcesandincreasing the retention percentage is aimed at addressing it,” an official said, adding that discussions are also underway to retain at least 50 per cent of Agniveers in the other services. The aim, the official said, is to increase bonding and willing- Currently, only 25% are retained after 4 years. File ness to carry each other along than compete. “The larger interest of the organisation is to have soldiers with good camaraderie and regimental spirit to fight together,” the official said. In the Army, the training period for soldiers before the announcement of the Agnipath scheme was between 37 and 42 weeks. Thereductionof thistraining periodto24weeksforAgniveers has been adversely impacting their overall training, according to the feedback received by the Army. The Army is discussing that the training duration for Agniveersbeincreasedtowhatit was originally for soldiers, while increasingtheoverallserviceperiod to around seven years from the current four years, so that gratuity and ex-servicemen (ESM) status could be granted to them. The move, if implemented, willalsomakeAgniveerseligible for benefits applicable to ESM and the entire period of seven yearsof serviceasAgniveerswill then likely be counted as part of pensionable service for those getting permanently retained in the force. Other suggestions include lateral absorption of graduates as technical personnel. “Technology-intensive services need more senior technical personnel and Agnipath, as the only route for admitting them, may fall short of meeting the number of senior technical personnel,” an official said, adding that several senior posts for them will otherwise fall vacant by 2035. Suggestions being discussed CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad