Ben Stokes, Bairstow power England to 337-9 against Pakistan in WC
Kolkata, November 11: England scored a competitive 337 for nine against Pakistan in their last game of what has been a forgettable World Cup campaign, here on Saturday.
Batting first, Jonny Bairstow (31) and Dawid Malan (59) added 82 runs for the first wicket before star all-rounder Ben Stokes smashed 84 runs in 76 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes.
Joe Root compiled a neat 60 in 72 balls. The pair of Stokes and Root stitched 132 runs for the third wicket to power the defending champions, who will be returning home after this game.
For Pakistan, Haris Rauf took three wickets for 64 runs while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Wasim took two apiece.
Brief Scores:
England: 337/9 in 50 overs (Ben Stokes 84, Joe Root 60, Jonny Bairstow 59; Haris Rauf 3/64).
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NGT halts Karnataka govt plan to divert ₹400 crore from KSPCB
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s move to divert over ₹400 crore from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for non-environmental works has hit a legal hurdle, after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance of the issue.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald, the state government had sought ₹100 crore as a grant, a ₹126 crore interest-free loan, and an additional ₹200 crore loan at an interest rate of 7.5% from the KSPCB. The funds were proposed to be used for projects related to preventing man-animal conflict and for coastal resilience works.
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The principal bench of the NGT, while issuing notices to Karnataka and other states, observed that pollution control boards are already facing severe staff shortages and increasing responsibilities. It noted that while boards are not allowed to fill vacancies to carry out their statutory duties, their funds are being sought for activities not covered under the Air Act or Water Act, which govern their functioning.
Of the total ₹426 crore sought by the state, ₹300 crore was proposed for constructing railway barricades to prevent man-elephant conflict, while ₹126 crore was earmarked for coastal protection works under a climate change mitigation programme.
The report also pointed out that diverting KSPCB funds lacks legal backing under the Water and Air Acts. It referred to a 2023 NGT order that questioned a similar attempt by the Punjab government to divert ₹250 crore, following which Punjab withdrew its proposal.
Officials within the KSPCB have raised concerns over the move, stating that the board requires greater autonomy and urgent reforms. They also flagged acute staff shortages, which have affected the board’s ability to effectively carry out environmental monitoring and regulatory functions.
