Rana Ayyub honored with highest Press Freedom award of US, becomes first Indian to achieve feat
Says “there is no free press in India anymore” in powerful acceptance speech
New York: Indian journalist Rana Ayyub was on Wednesday received the prestigious John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award at the 2022 Fourth Estate Award Gala.
The award is conferred by the National Press Club of Washington DC and is the club’s highest honor of Press Freedom.
This year’s Aubuchon #pressfreedom international honoree is Rana Ayyub! She is an investigative journalist living in India and a Washington Post Global Opinions contributor, the NPC Journalist Institute wrote in its tweet.
“We are pleased to name Rana Ayyub the 2022 John Aubuchon Award International Honoree. Ms. Ayyub’s courage and skill in investigative work has been evident throughout her distinguished career and her criticism of the government has been met with an unwelcome assault on her rights and freedom of expression.” National Press Club President Jen Judson and National Press Club Journalism Institute President Gil Klein had said earlier this year while announcing Rana Ayyub’s name for the award.
Ayyub after her name was announced in July 2022, dedicated the award to her colleagues who are lying in different prisons across the country. “Dedicating this to my colleagues Mohd. Zubair, Siddique Kappan, and Asif Sultan incarcerated for speaking truth to power,” she had said.
In her acceptance speech on Wednesday, Rana Ayyub said that there is no free press in India anymore. “I’m here, trying to feel less alone at a time I feel very lonely” she added in her speech.
"I happen to be a Muslim & a woman. How dare I speak? ... Thank you for making me feel less alone & isolated." She further added.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
