PM Modi to attend special screening of Chhaava in Parliament
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend a special screening of the Hindi film Chhaava on Wednesday at the Balayogi Auditorium in Parliament, alongside Cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament.
The film, which narrates the life of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, has received widespread appreciation as well as criticism. The screening will be attended by the film’s cast and crew, including actor Vicky Kaushal, who plays the titular role.
Last month, PM Modi had acknowledged the film's impact during his address at the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in New Delhi. He highlighted its significance in portraying Sambhaji Maharaj’s resistance against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and credited Marathi literature for inspiring the film. “It is Maharashtra and Mumbai that have elevated both Marathi and Hindi cinema. These days, Chhaava is creating a buzz across the country. The portrayal of Sambhaji Maharaj’s courage in this way has been inspired by Shivaji Sawant’s Marathi novel,” he remarked on February 21.
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298 persons killed in Wayanad landslides: Govt tells Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): A total of 298 people were killed during the landslides that hit Kerala's Wayanad district last year, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that while the Centre does not maintain a central data of deaths/missing persons due to disasters, including landslides, the Kerala government informed it that the total number of deaths due to the landslide in Wayanad was 298.
Out of these, 32 missing persons have been declared as deceased, the minister told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Asked about the compensation provided by the Centre to the state, Rai said that based on a report of the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT), the central government approved an amount of Rs 153.47 crore, subject to the adjustment of 50 per cent of balance available in the state disaster response fund account, for the landslides, flash flood of 2024.
The amount also includes assistance for the air bills for utilising the services of the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters for rescue and relief, as per actual, and actual expenditure for the clearance of debris, he said.
Besides, an amount of Rs 388 crore (Rs 291.20 crore central share plus Rs 96.80 crore state share) has been allocated to the Government of Kerala for the financial year 2024-25 in SDRF, he said.
The instalment of Rs 145.60 crore of the central share was released on July 31, 2024.
The second instalment of Rs 145.60 crore of the central share was also released on October 1, 2024 in advance to the state, the minister said.
He added that the Kerala Accountant General reported a balance of Rs 394.99 crore in its SDRF account as on April 1, 2024.
Thus, "sufficient fund" is available in the SDRF account of the state for relief operations, he said.
Rai said Kerala conducted a Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) estimating a total requirement of Rs 2,219 crore for recovery and reconstruction plan.
The landslides destroyed large tracts of three Wayanad villages--Punchirimattom, Chooralmala and Mundakkai--apart from some in Attamala when the disaster struck on July 30 last year.
