Hyderabad

Telangana Police get breath analysers as part of CSR initiative

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As part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Diageo Company handed over 50 new breath analysers to the State Police Department

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:30 PM


Telangana Police get breath analysers as part of CSR initiative

As part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Diageo Company handed over 50 new breath analysers to the State Police Department

Hyderabad: As part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Diageo Company handed over 50 new breath analysers to the State Police Department on Wednesday.

Director General Police, Ravi Gupta, expressed his gratitude Diageo Company and the NGO CSR Box for coming forward to provide quality breath analysers to the police department, which is a pioneer in many aspects in the country. He said that the initiative taken by them under social responsibility would further enhance the capacity of the police personnel and help to control drunk driving.

The DGP reiterated that driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous and the police personnel are working day and night to prevent it. Such modern devices would enhance the efficiency and capacity of the police personnel and thereby benefit the people, he added.

Additional DGP (Railways & Road Safety) Mahesh M Bhagwat said that by driving responsibly, commuters can save their own lives as well as the lives of others.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vishwa Prasad said that Hyderabad Traffic Police was moving forward with a clear strategy to curb drunk driving and that the traffic police was working tirelessly.

Diageo Company officials and senior police personnel were present.

World

Azerbaijani, Armenian FMs meet in Berlin for peace talks

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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who hosted the talks in Villa Borsig, thanked her counterparts for coming to Berlin, and undertaking negotiations to resolve their disputes.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had decided to continue peace talks following a meeting two weeks ago on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Anadolu Agency reported.

Baerbock said resolving outstanding issues through diplomatic talks and peace between Baku and Yerevan would bring new opportunities both for the two countries, and the whole South Caucasus region.

An Armenian government statement on the trilateral meeting said Aliyev and Pashinian agreed to “continue the work on a peace treaty” between their countries. It announced no other understandings reached by them.

MP/PR

Top News

Ganga In West Bengal Declared Unfit For Bathing Due To Untreated Sewage, NGT Warns Of Fines

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Ganga In West Bengal Declared Unfit For Bathing Due To Untreated Sewage, NGT Warns Of Fines

The entire stretch of the Ganga in West Bengal contains high faecal coliform.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stern warning to authorities in West Bengal after finding the entire stretch of the Ganga River in the state unfit for bathing due to high levels of faecal coliform bacteria. The NGT, a judicial body tasked with environmental protection, observed that a staggering 258.67 million litres per day of untreated sewage is flowing directly into the river, posing a significant health risk.

This alarming discovery came to light during a hearing regarding the ongoing efforts to prevent, control, and reduce pollution in the Ganga River across various states. The NGT was reviewing a report submitted by West Bengal in response to earlier directives aimed at addressing this critical issue.

Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson of the NGT bench, expressed deep concern after examining reports filed by the District Magistrates of several West Bengal districts, including North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, Hooghly, Purba Burdwan, Howrah, Purba Medinipur, and South 24 Parganas. The reports revealed a lack of adequate sewage treatment facilities across the state, with some districts, like Purba Medinipur, shockingly lacking even a single Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

The NGT has warned the West Bengal authorities of potential fines if they fail to demonstrate significant progress in tackling the issue of untreated sewage flowing into the Ganga.

“On perusal of these reports, we, in general, find that no adequate facilities for treatment of sewage generated per day have been set up and that even the timeline for achieving the target of 100 per cent treatment of sewage has not been disclosed,” the bench, also comprising judicial member Sudhir Agarwal and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad, said.

In an order passed on February 21, the bench said, it was “surprising ” that not even a single Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was set up in some districts like Purba Medinipur.

“The condition that has been reflected in these reports is far from satisfactory and shows that 258.67 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage is directly flowing in the river Ganga in the state of West Bengal,” it said.

The green panel directed the DMs of nine districts, through which the river’s mainstream flowed, to file affidavits setting a deadline for achieving the target of 100 per cent treatment of sewage generated every day.

The DMs also have to disclose the manner and extent of utilisation of funds received from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), besides steps taken for demarcation of floodplains in their districts, the tribunal said.

“We also find that the entire stretch of river Ganga in West Bengal contains high fecal coliform, making the water unfit for bathing and thereby not meeting primary water quality criteria,” it said.

The tribunal directed the NMCG to carry out a performance audit of each of the districts on generation and treatment of waste and the extent of pollution each was causing in the river.

“We do not find any progress in the reduction of discharge of pollutants to the River Ganga in any of the districts. Therefore, if in the next report sufficient progress is not shown, then the tribunal may not have any option but to impose Environmental Compensation (EC),” the tribunal said. It ordered the DMs concerned and the NMCG to file fresh reports within eight weeks and posted the matter for further proceedings on May 2. 

(With inputs from PTI)

Hyderabad

Hyderabad: CID arrests suspect in cheating case after 11 years

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Following a tip-off, a special team went to Velachery in Chennai and nabbed the suspect on February 18

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:13 PM


Hyderabad: CID arrests suspect in cheating case after 11 years

Representational Image

Hyderabad: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) executed a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) that had been pending for the past 11 years against one Sambasiva Iyer Swaminathan, involved in a case of criminal breach of trust, cheating, and fabrication of documents and nabbed him from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

Swaminathan, was suspect number 55, in the case registered in 2013, which case revolves around Anil Beni Prasad Agrawal, the prime suspect and others who allegedly swindled funds amounting to Rs 29 crore from Ravi Kumar Distilleries Ltd. A case was first booked by Nacharam police and subsequently transferred to the CID.

CID officials said Swaminathan posing as the Book Running Lead Manager (BLRM) for the company’s Initial Public Offering (IPO), fraudulently collected a substantial amount from the company.

After completing the investigation, a chargesheet was filed, and Swaminathan went absconding ever since. Subsequently, a NBW was issued against him by a local court in LB Nagar.

Following a tip-off, a special team went to Velachery in Chennai and nabbed him on February 18. He was brought to the city and produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.

Additional DGP CID Shikha Goel appreciated the Special Execution Team.

Top News

Ganga In West Bengal Declared Unfit For Bathing Due, NGT Warns Of Fines

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Ganga In West Bengal Declared Unfit For Bathing Due To Untreated Sewage, NGT Warns Of Fines

The entire stretch of the Ganga in West Bengal contains high faecal coliform.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stern warning to authorities in West Bengal after finding the entire stretch of the Ganga River in the state unfit for bathing due to high levels of faecal coliform bacteria. The NGT, a judicial body tasked with environmental protection, observed that a staggering 258.67 million litres per day of untreated sewage is flowing directly into the river, posing a significant health risk.

This alarming discovery came to light during a hearing regarding the ongoing efforts to prevent, control, and reduce pollution in the Ganga River across various states. The NGT was reviewing a report submitted by West Bengal in response to earlier directives aimed at addressing this critical issue.

Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson of the NGT bench, expressed deep concern after examining reports filed by the District Magistrates of several West Bengal districts, including North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, Hooghly, Purba Burdwan, Howrah, Purba Medinipur, and South 24 Parganas. The reports revealed a lack of adequate sewage treatment facilities across the state, with some districts, like Purba Medinipur, shockingly lacking even a single Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

The NGT has warned the West Bengal authorities of potential fines if they fail to demonstrate significant progress in tackling the issue of untreated sewage flowing into the Ganga.

“On perusal of these reports, we, in general, find that no adequate facilities for treatment of sewage generated per day have been set up and that even the timeline for achieving the target of 100 per cent treatment of sewage has not been disclosed,” the bench, also comprising judicial member Sudhir Agarwal and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad, said.

In an order passed on February 21, the bench said, it was “surprising ” that not even a single Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was set up in some districts like Purba Medinipur.

“The condition that has been reflected in these reports is far from satisfactory and shows that 258.67 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage is directly flowing in the river Ganga in the state of West Bengal,” it said.

The green panel directed the DMs of nine districts, through which the river’s mainstream flowed, to file affidavits setting a deadline for achieving the target of 100 per cent treatment of sewage generated every day.

The DMs also have to disclose the manner and extent of utilisation of funds received from the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), besides steps taken for demarcation of floodplains in their districts, the tribunal said.

“We also find that the entire stretch of river Ganga in West Bengal contains high fecal coliform, making the water unfit for bathing and thereby not meeting primary water quality criteria,” it said.

The tribunal directed the NMCG to carry out a performance audit of each of the districts on generation and treatment of waste and the extent of pollution each was causing in the river.

“We do not find any progress in the reduction of discharge of pollutants to the River Ganga in any of the districts. Therefore, if in the next report sufficient progress is not shown, then the tribunal may not have any option but to impose Environmental Compensation (EC),” the tribunal said. It ordered the DMs concerned and the NMCG to file fresh reports within eight weeks and posted the matter for further proceedings on May 2. 

(With inputs from PTI)

Hyderabad

Adilabad, Asifabad get new Collectors

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Adilabad Collector PS Rahul Raj was transferred and was replaced by Rajarshi Shah, an IAS officer of 2017 batch and Kumram Bheem Asifabad Collector Borkade Hemanth Sahadeorao was replaced by Sneha Shabarish from the 2017 batch

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:13 PM


Adilabad, Asifabad get new Collectors

Rajarshi Shah

Adilabad: Collector PS Rahul Raj was transferred and was replaced by Rajarshi Shah, an IAS officer of 2017 batch. An order to this effect was issued by Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari on Wednesday.

Rahul Raj belonging to the 2015 batch IAS was posted as Collector of the district on January 31 last year. He left a mark on the district by introducing innovative initiatives including free EAMCET and NEET coaching to intermediate students studying in government junior colleges, benefiting over 200 students in 2022 and 2023.

Meanwhile, Kumram Bheem Asifabad district Collector Borkade Hemanth Sahadeorao, a 2018 Batch IAS officer was also transferred. He was replaced by Sneha Shabarish from the 2017 batch. Hemanth was posted as the Collector of the district on February 10, 2023.

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CM Revanth Reddy orders probe into Outer Ring Road toll tenders

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Upon receiving a full report, the Chief Minister decided to discuss the matter in the Cabinet meeting and hand over the case to the CBI or a similar investigation agency

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:05 PM


CM Revanth Reddy orders probe into Outer Ring Road toll tenders

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in a review meeting with HMDA officials at Telangana Secretariat on Wednesday.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy ordered a comprehensive probe into the alleged irregularities in the Outer Ring Road (ORR) toll tenders. Expressing displeasure over low-rate tenders that dented government revenue, he questioned HMDA officials on the tender procedures and ordered an investigation into individuals and organisations involved.

HMDA joint commissioner Amrapali Kata has been tasked with providing details on tender irregularities and file movements. In case of any missing files in this regard, she has been asked to file cases against the responsible officials. Upon receiving a full report, the Chief Minister decided to discuss the matter in the Cabinet meeting and hand over the case to the CBI or a similar investigation agency.

In a review meeting with HMDA officials at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, the Chief Minister asked why the ORR with annual revenue of Rs.600 crore which translates to total revenue of Rs.18,000 crore for 30 years, was handed over to the bidding company IRB for Rs.7,380 crore. He felt that the State government lost over around Rs.15,000 crore in revenue due to the faulty tender process adopted by HMDA officials. He sought a thorough investigation into the tender process and asked for investigation into the bidding company’s transactions, especially the sale of 49 percent in the company to foreign firms and their transactions.

Further, Revanth Reddy directed officials to prepare proposals for development of Hyderabad with the entire area within the ORR as a single unit, and also asked them to examine possibility of extending HMDA’s jurisdiction upto the Regional Ring Road (RRR). The development of radial roads connecting the ORR and the RRR, was also suggested. Keeping in view of the expanding GHMC and its surrounding municipalities, he said priority should be given to development of essential public infrastructure. He asked the officials to prepare a vision document in association with an expert consultancy as per the State government’s Mega Master Plan-2050.

The Chief Minister wanted protection of all water bodies within HMDA, accelerating land pooling with the help of local district administrations, and safeguarding 8,374 acres belonging to HMDA including 2,031 land parcels embroiled in the court cases, as priorities. He emphasised the need digital mapping and other measures to safeguard the HMDA lands as well as utilise vacant lands for monetisation to increase HMDA’s revenue. With a DIG rank officer as in-charge and two SP rank officers, it was decided to form a special team to prevent encroachment of HMDA lands. Officials were also asked to explore possibilities of improving income through advertisements within HMDA limits.

Officials were tasked with surveying lands demarcated for community usage in various layouts in Hyderabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and other major cities and towns. These lands would be utilised for establishment of model schools with the support of corporate companies and other educational institutions. Nearly 25 per cent of the total seats would be offered for free to students from economically weaker sections across the State.

Revanth Reddy also asked officials to initiate immediate measures to improve Hussain Sagar and its surroundings for tourism development. They were also directed to remove illegal constructions and encroachments in the vicinity. He suggested for developing the area into a world-class tourism spot with amenities like skywalks, food courts and children’s amusement parks, landscaping and other facilities on the lines of Dubai. He asked them to invite proposals from reputed international consultants in this regard.

Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari, Principal Secretary to CM V Seshadri, Special Secretary to CM Ajith Reddy, Principal Secretary for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary for Roads and Buildings Srinivasa Raju along with HMDA Joint Commissioner Amrapali Kata and others were present.

India

Disney, Reliance to merge India media operations to create Rs 70,000 cr behemoth

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It housed entertainment and cinema channels such as StarPlus and StarGold as well as sports channels like Star Sports.

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:02 PM


Disney, Reliance to merge India media operations to create Rs 70,000 cr behemoth


New Delhi: Walt Disney Co and Reliance Industries on Wednesday announced signing of binding pacts to merge their media operations in India to create a Rs 70,000 crore behemoth.

Under the deal, coming just over a month after the failed USD 10 billion merger of rivals Zee and Sony, Reliance and its affiliates will hold 63.16 per cent in the combined entity that will house two streaming services and 120 television channels.

Disney will hold the remaining 36.84 per cent, the companies said in a statement. Reliance has also agreed to invest at closing Rs 11,500 crore into the joint venture to give it the muscle to fight rivals such as Japan’s Sony and Netflix.

Disney + Hotstar has seen its paid subscriber base decline from around 55 million to about 40 million in the first quarter of FY24 because of Reliance’s Jio Cinema winning exclusive rights for live sports.

The combined entity will have the largest OTT subscriber base. Media ventures of Reliance are currently housed in Network 18, which owns TV18 news channels as well as a plethora of entertainment (under the ‘Colors’ brand) and sports channels.

NW18 also has stakes in moneycontrol.com, bookmyshow and publishes magazines. Its subsidiary NW18 owns the news channels CNBC/CNNNews.

Reliance separately owns a movie production arm – JioStudios, and majority stakes in two listed cable distribution companies, Den and Hathway. Disney + Hotstar was launched in India in 2020, post the acquisition of the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox at a valuation of USD 71.3 billion, thereby taking over the operations of Star India and Hotstar.

It housed entertainment and cinema channels such as StarPlus and StarGold as well as sports channels like Star Sports.

While Disney + Hotstar rapidly increased their subscriber base initially with the streaming rights of cricket matches (IPL, World Cup), it lost the bid for the digital streaming rights in 2023-27 cycle, which was won by Reliance-backed Viacom18 for USD 720 billion, 12.92 per cent higher than what Star India had paid on an average per match value.

Nita Ambani, wife of billionaire and Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, will head the joint venture while Uday Shankar will be the vice chairperson. Shankar is a former top Disney executive and has a joint venture with James Murdoch, called Bodhi Tree.

“Reliance Industries Ltd (and its affiliate) Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd and The Walt Disney Company today announced the signing of binding definitive agreements to form a joint venture that will combine the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India,” the statement said. ”

As part of the transaction, the media undertaking of Viacom18 will be merged into Star India Private Limited (SIPL) through a court-approved scheme of arrangement.”

The transaction values the joint venture at Rs 70,352 crore (USD 8.5 billion) on a post-money basis, excluding synergies.

“Disney may also contribute certain additional media assets to the JV, subject to regulatory and third-party approvals,” it said without elaborating. The JV will be one of the leading TV and digital streaming platforms for entertainment and sports content in India, bringing together iconic media assets across entertainment (e.g. Colors, StarPlus, StarGOLD) and sports (e.g. Star Sports and Sports18) including access to highly anticipated events across television and digital platforms through JioCinema and Hotstar.

The JV will have over 750 million viewers across India and will also cater to the Indian diaspora across the world.

“The combination of the media expertise, cutting-edge technology and diverse content libraries of Viacom18 and Star India will allow the JV to offer more appealing domestic and global entertainment content and sports live streaming services, while delivering an innovative and convenient digital entertainment experience at affordable prices.

The joint venture will also be granted exclusive rights to distribute Disney films and productions in India, with a licence to more than 30,000 Disney content assets, providing a full suite of entertainment options for the Indian consumer.

Mukesh D Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said, “This is a landmark agreement that heralds a new era in the Indian entertainment industry. We have always respected Disney as the best media group globally and are very excited at forming this strategic joint venture that will help us pool our extensive resources, creative prowess, and market insights to deliver unparalleled content at affordable prices to audiences across the nation. We welcome Disney as a key partner of Reliance group.”

Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company said, “India is the world’s most populous market, and we are excited for the opportunities that this joint venture will provide to create long-term value for the company.

Reliance has a deep understanding of the Indian market and consumer, and together we will create one of the country’s leading media companies, allowing us to better serve consumers with a broad portfolio of digital services and entertainment and sports content.”

Earlier in July 2023, Iger had hinted toward selling the linear assets of the company citing challenges faced by them.

Uday Shankar, who is the co-founder of Bodhi Tree Systems said this joint venture is poised to shape the future of entertainment in India. The transaction is subject to regulatory, shareholder and other customary approvals and is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2024 or the first quarter of 2025.

The Disney Reliance media merger deal contrasts the failed plans of rivals Sony and Zee last month.

This merger which could have created a USD 10.5 billion entity, was called off by Sony Group and both sides are mired in litigations and arbitrations.

 

Hyderabad

IIT-Hyderabad, NIT-Warangal to work on Krishna and Godavari basins

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Ministry of Jal Shakti on Wednesday signed an agreement with 12 technical institutions for academic and research collaboration for basin management of six major rivers in the country

Published Date – 28 February 2024, 10:00 PM


IIT-Hyderabad, NIT-Warangal to work on Krishna and Godavari basins

File Photo: IIT-Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: The Ministry of Jal Shakti on Wednesday signed an agreement with 12 technical institutions for academic and research collaboration for basin management of six major rivers in the country.

They included Krishna and Godavari basins. While the Godavari basin was entrusted jointly to IIT Hyderabad and NEERI, Nagpur, the NIT Warangal and NIT Surathkal were entrusted with the task of managing the Krishna river basin.

Other river basins included in the project are Narmada (IIT Indore and IIT Gandhinagar), Mahanadi – IIT Raipur and IIT Rourkela, Cauvery – IISc Bangalore and NIT Trichy, Periyar – IIT Palakkad and NIT Calicut.

The agreements were signed at a function by G Ashok Kumar, Director General of National Mission for Clean Ganga and project director on behalf of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development and the directors of the consortium institutes.

World

Now search conversations by date on WhatsApp

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“Now you can simply choose a date and skip to all messages sent from that date onwards,” the company said.

Updated On – 28 February 2024, 09:53 PM


Now search conversations by date on WhatsApp


New Delh: Meta-owned WhatsApp on Wednesday announced to roll out a search by date feature for individual and group chats on Android devices. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared the announcement on his WhatsApp channel. Now, searching your WhatsApp chats is now even easier with the search by date function.

“Now you can simply choose a date and skip to all messages sent from that date onwards,” the company said. Search by date is rolling out now on Android devices, and is already available on iOS, Mac desktop and WhatsApp Web.

“Simply click into any chat, tap the contact or group name at the top, and click Search to choose which date you’d like to skip to,” WhatsApp said.

WhatsApp last week announced support for new text formatting options such as bulleted lists, numbered lists, block quotes, and inline code. WhatsApp is also reportedly working on a new ‘favourite contacts filter’ feature, allowing users to prioritise their conversations and offer greater control and efficiency in the messaging experience.