CMYK MAY 15 SUNDAY 34 34 JIS Group felicitates exceptional talents with JIS SAMMAN 2022 He knew he would be killed PAGE 3 29 PAGE 5 Precipition: 2% Humidity: 76% Wind: 27 KM/H Rs. 3 KOLKATA SUNDAY, 15 MAY, 2022 PG-12, YEAR—8, ISSUE—350 (RNI NO.: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) Morning India Construction of Metro railway by KMRCL is on in Bowbazar area, on Saturday. Punjab to abolish VIP culture in jails MI News Service: In a major crackdown on the nexus of gangsters and criminals operating from jails, the Punjab government teams have confiscated 710 mobile phones from prisons in a specially-launched drive. Additionally, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to abandon the special cells in jails for VIP prisoners. Divulging the details, the Chief Minister said that "during this special drive carried out between March 16 and May 10, a total of 710 mobile phones have been recovered from jail inmates". He said these phones ❑ Continue PG 3 Manik Saha to be new Tripura Chief Minister MI News Service, Agartala: Manik Saha, a Rajya Sabha MP, will be the next chief minister of Tripura in place of Biplab Kumar Deb who resigned from the post hours earlier. Saha, who is also chief of BJP in Tripura, was elected leader of the BJP legislature party on Saturday. Deb resigned from his post in fast-paced political developments in the state that will face polls early next year. Deb said after submitting his resignation to State Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya that he had wholeheartedly served the people of the state. "I thank Central TMC seeks ‘Modi’ reaction to high inflation MI News Service, Kolkata: With the country's retail inflation surging to an eight-year high, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) sought 'answers' from the Prime Minister on what measures the Centre was taking to control the steep price hike of essential commodities, fuel, medicine and worsening economic condition of India. The Trinamool Congress also stated that the Prime Minister should step down if he is unable to ensure India's economic recovery. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP demanded the publication of a report card by Prime Minister Narendra Modi given the country's abysmal economic condition. "The financial condition of the country has gone from bad to worse and the Prime Minister is still talking about ‘Acche Din’. What sort of Acche Din the country is passing through is being observed by the Continue PG 3 people every day. ❑ Govt bans exports of wheat to ensure food security of citizens MI News Service New Delhi: The reason for the ban on wheat exports is to ensure food security of our citizens and ensure adequate food supply to the public distribution system and also ensure that we are able to direct food supplies to vulnerable food-deficit countries, said government secretaries of three departments of Food and public distribution Sudhanshu Pandey, Commerce Secretary BVR Subrahmanian and Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja. Sudhanshu Pandey, Department of Food and Public Distribution Secretary said, "I want to clarify it, again and again, it's not a ban on the wheat exports, to meet the food security requirements of other countries, even our own security requirements Continue PG 3 and to ❑ CMYK leadership and people of Tripura for giving me the responsibility to serve Tripura as a Chief Minister. I have wholeheartedly served my State and will always work for the betterment of my State. Tripura shall definitely march ahead in the path of development. Jai Hind," Deb said in a tweet. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and party general secretary Vinod Tawde were in Agartala as central observers. "Many congratulations to Dr Manik Saha ji for being elected the leader of Tripura BJP Legislature Party. I am sure that Tripura will reach new heights of development under the guidance and leadership of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," Bhupender Yadav said in a tweet. Deb also extended his best wishes to Saha on his new role. "Congratulations and best wishes to Dr Manik Saha ji on being elected as the legislature party leader. I believe under PM Narendra Modi Ji's vision and leadership Tripura will prosper," he said. Dr Saha, a Professor of Dental Surgery, joined the BJP in 2016 from the Congress. He was appointed state BJP president in 2018. Dr Saha had been elected to the upper house in the biennial elections held earlier this year. Sources in BJP said outgoing chief Minister Biplab Deb is likely to be brought to the Rajya Sabha. It is also being said that Biplab will be asked to take up the post of the party president of Tripura. Deb had taken oath as the first Chief Minister of Bharatiya Janata Party in Tripura in 2018 ending the 25-year-rule of the Communist Party of India in Tripura. Sources said that the BJP wanted to go with a fresh face in the Assembly polls.