JAIPUR l SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00 OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD 27°C - 37°C
Legendary
RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 111
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singer dies in hospital fighting COVID
A voice master, who aced vocal ranges, singing over 40,000 songs S P Balasubrahmanyam JUNE 4, 1946 - SEPT 25, 2020
C
elebrated playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, who held sway over millions of fans with his golden voice rendering a record 40,000 plus songs over five decades, died on Friday at a hospital Chennai, plunging music lovers in grief. After waging 52 days of grim battle for life following COVID-19 infection, the 74-year old
Alvida Balu!
singer suffered a cardio- respiratory arrest and the end came in the afternoon, a day after his condition turned extremely critical, a statement from MGM Healthcare, where he was treated, said. “With profound grief, we regret to inform that he passed away at 13:04 hours,” it said. However, the hospital said Balasubrahmanyam, popularly known as SPB, had tested nega-
ASHOK GEHLOT @ASHOKGEHLOT51 My heartfelt condolences at the passing away of legendary singer & music director Sh. S.P. Balasubrahmanyam. He leaves a huge void in the world of music & would be deeply missed. May his family, friends & fans find strength in this time of grief & his soul rests in peace.
tive for COVID-19 on September 4. Though at the time of admission, the pop-
ular singer himself had said in a video message that the infection was “very mild”
and he would return home in two days, his health deteriorated later and was put on life support measures - ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Condolences poured in from the who’s who of the nation with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the film world paying rich tributes to the departed singer.
EC BLOWS CRUCIAL BIHAR POLL BUGLE
FROM OCT 28, OUTCOME ON NOV 10
SPB, who strode like a colossus in the film and stage music world with numerous hits in 16 languages, more dominantly in South Indian films -- especially Tamil and his mother tongue Telugu, is survived by wife, a son and a daughter. A six-time national award winner, Balasubrahmanyam, honoured with Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2011 Turn to P6
DUNGARPUR BURNS
World’s first biggest election amidst corona pandemic
Aditi Nagar New Delhi: Bihar will vote on October 28, November 3 and 7 for a new government and the results will be announced on November 10, the Election Commission announced on Friday. The country’s biggest election in the coronavirus crisis will be held with many changes, including an extra voting hour and no physical contact during the campaign. Announcing the three-phase election, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora called it a “leap of faith”, pointing out that medical and engineering exams JEE and NEET took place recently and a large number of students sat for them. “COVID doesn’t show any sign of going down. Some way had to be found to choose representatives and protect the health of people. Life has to go on,” he told reporters. “The world has changed significantly since the last elections, which were held for the Delhi assembly. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a new normal in every aspect of
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora with Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra (L) and Rajiv Kumar announces the schedule for the Bihar Assembly Elections 2020, at a press conference, in New Delhi on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
PHASES AND SEATS
FIRST PHASE
October 28 will cover 71 assembly constituencies
SECOND-PHASE
November 3 will cover 94 seats
THIRD-PHASE
November 7 will cover 78 assembly seats
COUNTING November 10
our life,” Arora said. “Bihar assembly polls will be one of the biggest elections globally to be held during prevail-
The world has changed significantly since the last elections, which were held for the Delhi assembly. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a new normal in every aspect of our life —Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner Voting will take place from 7 AM to 6 PM instead of the usual 5 AM Covid patients, suspects will vote separately and there will be no physical contact during meetings and rallies
ing COVID-19 situation,” Arora added. He also said special protocols have been readied for voters who
are COVID-positive patients. Besides, all voters will need to wear face masks and pass through thermal scan-
ners at polling booths, where they will also be given hand gloves before they cast their votes. Some parties had demanded deferring the polls due to the pandemic, but Arora said special arrangements have been made for holding the elections during such difficult times. Under the new guidelines, parties will need to ensure that social distancing norms are followed at public gatherings during the poll campaign. Bihar has to elect a new 243-member assembly by November 29. Voting will take place from 7 AM to 6 PM instead of 5 AM. Covid patients, suspects and those in quarantine will vote separately and there will be no physical contact during meetings and rallies, said the Chief Election Commissioner. Voters have to use masks and gloves. The number of phases have also been reduced from five to minimize infection. “COVID-19 patients can vote in the last hour of the day,” Arora said. The powerful election body has also warned against the misuse of social media. Turn to P6
The agitation intensified in Dungarpur where the protesters torched several vehicles, vandalised a petrol pump while continuing to block highway on the second consecutive day. Mobile internet services was suspended in the district after stone pelting and torching of vehicles by candidates of teachers recruitment examination. P2
Members of various farmers organisations gather in protest over farm bills, at Punjab-Haryana border on Friday. (Top) SAD President Sukhbir Badal and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal ride a tractor during the protest. —PHOTOS BY PTI
Farmers up the ante in Punjab, Haryana, parts of UP over 3 Bills New Delhi: Over 265 farmers’ groups took to the streets today to block roads and carry out rallies and marches in a nationwide agitation against the controversial farm bills. The protests will intensify, the farmers said, unless the bills are repealed. Opposition parties like the Congress, the RJD and the Trinamool, as well as 10 central trade unions, have voiced their support for the farmers. Faced with the protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed the farm bills as “historic” and hit out at the opposition
for misleading the farmers. The government has said the bills will help farmers get better prices by allowing them to sell their produce at markets and prices of their choice. Farmers, however, fear the loss of the price support system (MSP) and the entry of private players who, they say, will put small and marginal farmers at risk. In Punjab, a “complete shutdown” was called for by 31 farmers’ groups protesting under the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) banner. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh earlier said Turn to P6
‘RAIL ROKO’ ANDOLAN TO CONTINUE UNABATED IN PUNJAB TILL SEPT 29 The “rail roko” that began in Amritsar and Ferozepur districts on Thurday continued on Friday and has been extended till Tuesday (September 29). In addition, to the above two districts, tracks will be blocked in Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Jalalabad, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti said Friday evening.
Voda clinches `20,000 cr tax arbitration case against Centre Govt may have to refund `45 cr collected as tax New Delhi: Telecom giant Vodafone on Friday won a significant ruling against the Indian government in an international court over Rs 20,000 crore in dues which it had described as unfair. The international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled that the Indian government’s imposition of a tax liability Turn to P6
BONE OF CONTENTION IN FIGURES The tax dispute involving Rs 12,000 crore in interest and Rs 7,900 crore in penalties stems from Vodafone’s acquisition of the Indian mobile assets from Hutchison Whampoa in 2007
FARM BILL ‘FIASCO’
‘Provisions are anti-farmer, signs of great ruin are visible’ Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot corners union government, terms it fascist and unable to keep to written agreements Yogesh Sharma Jaipur: Even as farmers protest gained momentum across the nation on Friday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot lost no time in cornering the central government on the issue through his verbal barbs terming the BJP
led government, fascist. He claimed that it is due to the NDA’s anti-farmer policies, that the opposition parties had to appeal to the President. Speaking at the Pradesh Congress Committee on the issue, Gehlot said that ever since the NDA government has come to the power
CM Ashok Gehlot addresses a press conference at PCC on Friday. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA
at Center, whether it is the decision of demonetisation, GST or lockdown and now the issue of three farm bills troubling the farmers, onesided decisions are being taken without consulting anyone. “Without talking to farmers’ organizations and traders, the 40-yearold law was changed and it has been decided to uproot the mandis (farm markets) which took 40 to 50 years to de-
velop. No resolution was allowed in the House and these bills were passed without discussion. Because of this, all the opposition leaders have requested the President not to sign it, that is why such a big movement has started,” Gehlot said while addressing the media. Citing the ongoing situation between India and China on border issues and economic slowdown, the Chief
Minister said that while there were agreements in writing on the promise of GST being shared with the states, “but the central government is not accepting and honoring written agreements with the state governments. If then tomorrow, there arises a dispute between farmers and merchants, how will such issues be solved. All the provisions done are against farmers. Turn to P6