New Delhi, Jul 18: Textiles Minister Smriti Irani was today given the additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry after M Venkaiah Naidu resigned from the Cabinet to contest the vice-presidential poll.
The portfolio of urban development, which too was with Naidu, was given to Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, the PMO said.
The BJP had yesterday decided to field Naidu as NDA's candidate for the post of vice president.
Idukki, Aug 7: Several people lost their lives and dozens of tea estate workers are feared trapped under soil in Kerala’s Munnar after torrential rains triggered a massive landslide on today.
As many as five bodies have been recovered and rescue workers are fighting inclement weather to remove the debris.
According to rescue workers, four lanes of quarters and a church are buried under mud and around 80 people are feared trapped.
Seven people have been rescued so far and shifted to the hospital.
Sources said a portion of Pettimudi came crashing down on the workers colony with a deafening roar in the wee hours of Friday.
As people were sleeping in the quarters, there was little time to escape.
Further, with the Periyavara bridge being washed away, it became all the more difficult for rescue workers to reach the spot.
The construction of a new temporary Periyavara bridge however, is underway.
The bridge was previously destructed during the deluge of August 2018. Later during the north west monsoons and the south west monsoon of 2019, it suffered damage again.
The present bridge, which got damaged on Thursday after Kannimala river levels rose, was constructed under the leadership of Coir fed.
Although a new concrete bridge has been constructed near the temporary bridge in Periyavara, vehicle movement has not been possible because the authorities are yet to build its approach via road.
The new bridge is to be constructed at a cost of Rs 4.75 crore from Devikulam MLA S Rajendran's fund.
The entire area has been cut off from outside world and communication networks have also crashed.
Teams of Fire and Rescue personnel, NDRF, revenue officials, estate workers and police are struggling to conduct rescue operations.
Meanwhile, District collector H Dhineshan said a team of rescue personnel was sent to Pettymudy after he was briefed about the mishap and search operations to locate and rescue people are underway.
Facilities have been arranged at the hospitals nearby to provide necessary treatment facilities to the people being rescued.
Feb 14: R K Pachauri, a former chief of The Energy and Resources Institute, passed away on Thursday after a prolonged cardiac ailment, TERI Director General Ajay Mathur said.
He was 79.
"It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing away of R K Pachauri, the founder Director of TERI. The entire TERI family stands with the family of Dr Pachauri in this hour of grief," Mathur said in a statement issued by the TERI.
"TERI is what it is because of Dr Pachauri's untiring perseverance. He played a pivotal role in growing this institution, and making it a premier global organisation in the sustainability space," said Mathur, who succeeded Pachauri at TERI in 2015. Pachauri was admitted to Escorts Heart Institute in the national capital where he underwent open heart surgery and was put on life support on Tuesday, sources said.
In the statement issued by TERI, its Chairman Nitin Desai hailed Pachauri's contribution to global sustainable development as "unparalleled".
May 28: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday asked the central government to unlock its coffers and help the needy affected by the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
In a video message posted as part of the Congress' 'Speak Up India' campaign, she lamented that even though the country is passing through a serious economic crisis with loss of livelihood due to the pandemic and the lockdown, the central government has not heard the cries of pain and trauma of people.
"We again urge the Centre to unlock its coffers and help the needy. Put direct cash of Rs 7,500 per month in the account of every family for the next six months and provide Rs 10,000 immediately; ensure safe and free travel of labourers back home, employment opportunity and rations; and also increase the number of work days under MNREGA to 200 days to facilitate jobs in villages," Gandhi said.
LIVE: Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi's message to the people & the BJP govt. #SpeakUpIndia https://t.co/OqpYFaU6AD
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 28, 2020
"Instead of loans, provide financial relief to small and medium industry so that crores of jobs are saved and the country progresses," she said in her video message on the party's social media handles.
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We better prepare another list of those who got killed by saffron terrorists and send it to President of India.
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