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Modi’s Birthday overshadowed flood victims’ woes: Medha Patkar

Agencies
September 18, 2019

Bhopal, Sept 18: Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his supporters, social activist Medha Patkar who is leading the Narmada Bachao Andolan has said that Modi's birthday celebrations overshadowed the grief of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project.

Patkar has alleged that around 192 villages in three districts of Madhya Pradesh -- Dhar, Barwani and Alirajpur -- were marooned after the Gujarat government raised the water level of the Sardar Sarovar Dam to 138.68 metres.

"Prime Minister Modi's birthday has been celebrated like a festival, but the affected people are yet to be rehabilitated. The water level in the dam was raised ahead of its schedule as Modi's birthday falls on September 17," Patkar told IANS on Tuesday.

Patkar has alleged that the dam affected people have not been compensated despite the Supreme Court's direction. She said that the Madhya Pradesh government has claimed that it is yet to receive the compensation amount of Rs 1,857 crore from the Gujarat government.

Patkar blames the previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for the problems of those affected by the dam.

She said: "Shivraj government claimed to have completed the rehabilitation programme and submitted a zero-balance affidavit which is not correct. This way they have snatched away the rightful that belonged to the affected families."

While attacking the Gujarat government for failing to fulfil the promises, she said: "The Rupani government had earlier said that the dam will be full by October 15, then he gave a new date of September 30, but how come the dam got filled just before Modi's birthday on September 17. It is clear now that for them Constitution does not mean anything. Thousands of people are getting drowned but for one person the dam was filled."

"Sardar Sarovar project is an interstate one, then why is Madhya Pradesh being discriminated. The Shivraj Singh government had surrendered before Modi and the Gujarat government. They never spoke the truth about their own states. Madhya Pradesh too had a share in the power generation, but the previous government kept mum," said Patkar.

She said that thousands were badly affected by the increased water levels in the dam. People in 192 villages were suffering so they observed Modi's birthday as 'dhikkar diwas'.

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Agencies
January 5,2020

New Delhi, Jan 5: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday sàid it was "shameful" that Sadaf Jafar, SR Darapuri and Pavan Rao were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police for violence without any evidence against them.

He also said that it was a shocking admission by the police that there is no evidence of their involvement.

"Sadaf Jafar, S R Darapuri and Pavan Rao Ambedkar released on bail after police ADMITTED no evidence of their involvement in violence. Shocking admission," he said on Twitter.

"If that were so, why did the police arrest them in the first place? And how did the Magistrate remand them to custody without looking at the evidence," he asked.
"The law says 'find evidence, then arrest'. The reality is 'first arrest, then search for evidence'. Shameful," Chidambaram tweeted.

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Agencies
February 4,2020

The government suspended all the India-bound air travel from China and has declared all visas 'invalid', on Monday, due to the rapid escalation of cases of novel coronavirus outbreak which originated in Wuhan.

"Embassy and our Consulates have been receiving several queries from Chinese citizens as well as other foreign nationals, who are based out of China or visited China in the last 2 weeks, as to whether they can use their valid single/multiple entry visas to travel to India," tweeted the Embassy of India in Beijing, China.

"It is clarified that existing visas are no longer valid. Intending visitors to India should contact the Indian Embassy in Beijing ([email protected]) or the Consulates in Shanghai ([email protected]) and Guangzhou ([email protected]) to apply afresh for an Indian visa," it said.

Further, regarding the validity of visas, the embassy said, "Indian Visa Application Centres (http://blsindia-china.com) in these cities may also be contacted in this regard. Visa Section of the Embassy/Consulates of India in China can be contacted to ascertain the validity of visa before undertaking any visit to India."

"All those who are already in India (with regular or e-visa) and had traveled from China after January 15 are requested to contact the hotline number of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Government of India (+91-11-23978046 and email: [email protected])," the embassy said.

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Agencies
August 8,2020

The Civil Aviation Ministry announced an initial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the dependents of the deceased in the Kozhikode AIE plane crash, while the Kerala government also announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each.

Minister of Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, who visited the mishap spot on Saturday, said that a detailed probe is already on and the pilot and co-pilot were highly experienced.

He also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the injured and Rs. 50,000 each to those who suffered minor injuries. The other normal compensations would be decided in due course.

Puri said that Captain Deepak Vasant Sathe, aged 59, who commandeered the AIE flight, had a flying experience of 10,848 hours, while co-pilot Akhilesh Kumar, aged 32, had a flying experience of 1,723 hours.

"Deepak was one of the most distinguished and experienced pilots. He had a commanding experience of 6,662 hours and was commander of B-737 aircraft for 4,244 hours. He had also operated to Kozhikode international airport 27 times. He joined AIE in 2013 and prior to that he served with the IAF and HAL. He was a figher pilot and a recipient of prestigious sword of honour and a gold medalist," said Puri.

Puri said that even as the flight slipped down to around 35 feet, a major disaster was averted due to timely rescue operations. Local people played an exemplary role and the fire brigade's timely action of cutting the plane body and rescuing the passengers minimised the casualties, he said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also said that the local people and all rescue and relief agencies did a well co-ordinated job. The state government would also meet the entire treatment expenses of the injured.

Till Saturday afternoon, the total number of deaths was 18. While 149 were still in hospitals, 23 were discharged.

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