Collector had declared Indrayani river bridge as dangerous; locals put up warning boards: Fadnavis
Palghar (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani River in Pune that collapsed, killing four persons, had been declared dangerous by the district collector, and warning boards had been put up at the site.
Talking to reporters at an event in Palghar, Fadnavis said the contract for a new bridge at the site in Maval tehsil had been awarded, and work has begun.
Four people died, and 18 were seriously injured when a 32-year-old iron pedestrian bridge over the Indrayani River in Maval tehsil collapsed on Sunday afternoon due to overcrowding by tourists.
He said that the structure had been declared dangerous by the district collector before the incident, and villagers had also placed warning boards.
Tourists might not have been aware of the severity of the bridge's condition, he said.
The chief minister said that the administration had identified 500 dangerous locations, including bridges and water bodies, across Pune district for the monsoon season.
"Notifications have been issued, and at some places, police are posted while villagers are also involved in cautioning people. We have to handle this with much more caution," he said, adding that he has instructed the district collector to implement safety measures at these vulnerable tourist spots.
Fadnavis took part in welcoming students on their first day of the new academic year at the Zilla Parishad school in Durvesh.
He highlighted the government's holistic approach to student welfare, which includes providing free uniforms and mid-day meals.
Fadnavis further said that the Vadhvan port project will change the face of Palghar and generate approximately 10 lakh jobs.
"The maximum benefit of these employment opportunities should go to the sons of the soil," he asserted.
Fishermen and the tribal community of Palghar should be the primary beneficiaries, and the government is working in that direction, he said.
The chief minister said six agreements will be signed focusing on training, capacity building, and skill development for the local population to prepare them for these future roles.
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Karnataka Cabinet ratifies decisions on internal reservation for SCs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Cabinet has ratified its earlier decisions on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes and approved key modifications to streamline recruitment, including withdrawal and reissue of notifications and adoption of a 400-point roster system.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday said the Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to implementing internal reservation within the 15 per cent SC quota and expediting long-pending recruitment across departments.
"The Cabinet ratified decisions taken in earlier meetings (April 16 and April 24) and made modifications regarding reservation policies," Patil said.
He said the government will implement internal reservation within the 15 per cent quota for Scheduled Castes in specified proportions and revise recruitment notifications accordingly, with a 400-point roster to be followed.
If fewer than three roster points for SC arise in recruitment, then all 101 Scheduled Caste communities will be allowed to compete under SC general, he said.
Patil added that recruitment notifications issued without incorporating internal reservation will be withdrawn and reissued in line with the revised policy.
"If the Supreme Court approves 24 per cent reservation for SC/ST, six per cent backlog posts will be filled," he said, noting that urgent steps will be taken to fill 56,432 approved posts.
The latest decision follows the Cabinet's April 24 resolution that cleared a revised internal reservation formula within the overall 15 per cent SC quota, paving the way for long-pending government recruitment. The government had approved 5.25 per cent reservation each for the "right-hand" and "left-hand" groups, and about 4.5 per cent for other Scheduled Castes, including nomadic communities.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had then said the categorisation was worked out proportionately within the constitutional ceiling. "From tomorrow onwards, the recruitment process will begin with the issuance of notifications," he had said after the April 24 Cabinet meeting.
He also noted that the SC quota was fixed at 15 per cent and ST at three per cent in line with the 50 per cent cap laid down in the Indra Sawhney case, while pointing out that the Supreme Court had permitted internal reservation within constitutional limits.
