DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA BY UNNY REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2022, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 16 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL ● `5.00, WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 KEY BJP ALLY JD(U) LEADS CALLS FOR REVIEW OF SCHEME Govt raises Agnipath upper age to 23 for this year after protests No demolition without due process... the rule of law has to prevail: SC seeks UP response Trains, BJP offices attacked in Bihar; Govt vehicles set on fire in Haryana ` 123 per kilo ` 151 per kilo ` 188 per kilo ` 70 per Dozen Notice on Jamiat plea, bench says ensure ‘nothing untoward’ takes place meanwhile EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE ANANTHAKRISHNAN G WITH KEY NDA ally JD(U) leading calls for an immediate reviewof Agnipath,thenewshortterm recruitment policy for the Armed Forces, after violent protests seeking a rollback erupted in several states on Thursday,theCentreannounced a two-year relaxation in the upper age limit for the scheme this year since there was no recruitment in the services “during the last two years”. After a day that saw large groups of youths blocking roads, pelting stones, torching train coaches,andtargetingBJPoffices and leaders, the Defence Ministry said thatit wouldallow those who were 21 years old in 2020, when recruitments were stalled, to be eligible -- only for this year. Under the original scheme announced on Tuesday, only aspirants between 17-and-a-half years and 21 years of age are eligible for recruitment. But on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said that “the upper age limit for the recruitment process for Agnipath scheme for 2022 is increased to 23 years”. UNDERLININGTHATthe“ruleof law has to prevail”and“no demolitioncantakeplacewithoutfollowing the due process of law”, the Supreme Court Thursday sought the response of the Uttar Pradeshgovernmentonapleaby Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind which allegedillegaldemolitionof private properties in the state following violent protests over remarks against the Prophet. Fixing June 21 as the date of the next hearing, and asking the UP government to file its objectionsinthemeantime,thebench NEW DELHI, JUNE 16 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MORE REPORTS PAGE 8 NEW DELHI, JUNE 16 A train was set on fire at Chhapra in Bihar’s Saran district on Thursday amid protests. PTI CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MUMBAI,JUNE16 INYETanotherinstanceof afaceoff between the Centre and the Maharashtra government, the Centrehasrefusedtoacceptapro- Batting for Bengal: Ranji team star by day, minister and TMC MLA at night ManojTiwarygoesthrough filesinhishotelroom. Express DEVENDRA PANDEY MUMBAI, JUNE 16 FROM RESCUING the Bengal Ranji team by hitting a century during the day, to wading through files of official documents,asWestBengal’sMinister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Trinamool Congress MLA from Shibpur, in the evening — it’s all inaday’sworkforManojTiwary. Multi-tasking to strike a balance between his two roles, as a sittingministerandcricketer,isa big ask. When his team-mates hit the ice baths and put their feet up to re-energise in the evenings, Tiwary (36) says he dives right into official work. “Thereisa lotof constituency work — someone may need a letter for an Aadhaar card, some smallissueshereandthere.Atthe same time, we need to ensure that our government schemes reach the people,” says Tiwary, adding,“Ihavegotusedtoitnow”. "There are many files and documents which need to be signed. So my day is long. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 posal by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)governmentonredeveloping the pre-independence era Bombay Development Department (BDD) chawl in Sewri, which is located on land ownedbytheMumbaiPortTrust. Responding to a letter by Shiv Prayagraj demolition falls foul of Allahabad HC order: Ex-CJ APURVA VISHWANATH NEW DELHI, JUNE 16 THE PRAYAGRAJ Development Authority’sdecisionto demolish the house of Mohammad Javed, a political activist and businessman, on June 12, after serving just a day’s notice to vacate goes against a 2020 ruling of the AllahabadHighCourtthatissued a directive to the Uttar Pradesh government to allow a 30-day window from issuing a notice to the property owner. “The State authorities, where everdemolitionordersarepassed inrespectof constructionsraised CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Behind protest: Temporary service, At the helm of oil and urban affairs no pension, no healthcare benefit KRISHN KAUSHIK NEW DELHI, JUNE 16 HOURS AFTER protests erupted in several parts of the country against the short-term Agnipath scheme for the armed forces, officials sought to allay concerns and circulated a Myth vs Fact document to underline that the new scheme will not only bringinnewcapabilitiesbutwill also open up avenues in the pri- vate sector, and help the young men become entrepreneurs with the aid of a financial package. For those protesting on the streets or watching from the sidelines, the primary concerns and insecurity have to do with the temporary nature of the new scheme --serviceisonlyforfour years; pension has been removed; and there is no lifelong healthcarebenefitforthesoldier and his family. Centre rejects state govt’s proposal to redevelop BDD chawl in Sewri VALLABHOZARKAR Police deployed at Prayagraj’s Atala area on Thursday. PTI Sena Member of Parliament ArvindSawant,UnionMinisterof Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal hassaidtherearenoenablingprovisions under any existing policy of the ministry to grant the proposal in its present form. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 The Sewri plot belongs to Mumbai Port Trust, final nod is needed from Union Shipping Ministry. Express There is also the fear that many of them may no longer be eligible -- there has been no recruitment since 2020, and to become an Agniveer an aspirant has to be between age 17.5 and 21. Late Thursday night, the government granted a one-time waiver on the upper age limit by raising it to 23 years for 2022. Until now, a soldier had job security for approximately 17 years,andthereafterthecomfort of pension and access to subsidised healthcare for himself CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ministries, Puri is Adda guest today EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, JUNE 16 AS UNION Minister of Housing andUrbanAffairsandPetroleum and Natural Gas with Cabinet rank, diplomat-turned-politician Hardeep Singh Puri is at the helm of departments and ministries that play a critical role in influencing India’s growth story. As a diplomat and a former Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Puri — the guest at Express Adda on Friday — was one of the four Cabinet ministers tasked with CONTINUED ON PAGE 2