Centre waives loans of big businesses, not of Wayanad landslide victims: Priyanka Gandhi
Thiruvananthapuram/Wayanad (PTI): Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday criticised the central government for not waiving loans of the Wayanad landslides victims, saying it has no hesitation in writing off debts of big businesses.
Priyanka, in a statement issued by the party, was reacting to the central government's stand in the Kerala High Court that it cannot waive the loans of the Wayanad landslides victims.
The Congress MP from Wayanad said she completely agrees with the High Court's observation that the Centre has failed the victims in their time of need.
In a stinging observation, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday said that the Union government has "virtually failed" the victims of the 2024 landslides in Wayanad by not exercising its powers to waive the loans availed by them.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly, V D Satheesan, also expressed his disagreement with the Centre's stand, terming it a "wrong move".
He said that the landslide victims have all kinds of loans, but no source of income or assets.
"It is in such circumstances that the loans have to be waived," he said.
He said that the Kerala Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution last year for waiving the loans of the landslide victims, and now, the central government has to take a decision in this regard.
However, the Centre has taken a different stand in the case of Kerala as compared to Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and various other north Indian states, he claimed.
"It is a wrong stand by the Centre," he contended.
"We are requesting the Centre to help the victims of the Wayanad landslides, despite the observations of the High Court," he added.
A major landslide struck the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions on July 30 last year, almost completely decimating both areas.
The disaster claimed over 200 lives and left hundreds injured.
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Human skeletal remains found in Bengaluru outskirts
Bengaluru (PTI): Human skeletal remains, including a skull, suspected to be that of a woman were discovered in and around a lake on outskirts of the city, police said on Saturday.
The matter came to light after shepherds spotted the remains near the lake at Mugalur near Sarjapur while grazing cattle in the area and alerted the police, they said.
During the inspection, investigators found bones scattered across the dried lake bed and nearby areas, a senior police officer said, adding there was suspicion that the remains must be at least three months old.
Police suspect the victim may have drowned in the lake earlier, with the skeletal remains surfacing after water levels receded significantly during the summer.
Officials also suspect stray dogs could have dragged some of the remains to surrounding areas after the lake dried up further.
With pieces of a saree recovered from the spot, police suspect that it could have been of a woman.
Forensic experts and the Scene of Crime Officer team visited the spot and collected the skeletal remains and other evidence for examination.
A case has been registered and the remains, along with other evidence, have been sent for forensic analysis, the police officer said.
The identity of the deceased and the exact cause of death are yet to be established, he added.
