Cong MP gives privilege notice against MoS for 'misleading' statement on MGNREGS funding
New Delhi(PTI): Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore on Wednesday gave a notice to move a breach of privilege motion against Union Minister Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani for allegedly making "misleading" statements in the House on MGNREGS funding.
In his notice to Speaker Om Birla, Tagore said the Minister of State for Rural Development made a "factually incorrect" statement during the Question Hour on Tuesday while responding to a supplementary by DMK MP K Kanimozhi on the delay in the release of Rs 4,034 crore MGNREGS funds owed to Tamil Nadu for the past five months.
"Pemmasani claimed that Tamil Nadu, with a population of 7 crore, receives more MGNREGS funding than Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of 20 crore, and that Uttar Pradesh draws close to Rs 10,000 crore while Tamil Nadu draws more than Rs 10.000 crore," the Congress MP said.
Tagore said that according to the official data on the MGNREGS website, the total expenditure for Uttar Pradesh in the current fiscal year stands at Rs 11,860 crore, while the expenditure for Tamil Nadu is Rs 10.687 crore.
"The Central Government has released Rs 9,758 crore to Uttar Pradesh and ₹7,414 crore to Tamil Nadu so far this year. The funding under the MGNREGS scheme is determined by the demand for work, not based on population size, and hence, the minister's claim regarding the population-based allocation of funds is misleading," Tagore said.
He added, "The statement made by the Minister of State for Rural Development is misleading and factually incorrect, leading to confusion and misleading the House on an important issue related to the allocation and expenditure of MGNREGS funds."
"Given the importance of maintaining the integrity of statements made in the House and the impact of false information on public discourse, I request that a privilege motion be initiated against Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani for misleading the House and causing confusion regarding MGNREGS funding," the Congress leader said.
He urged the Speaker to direct the minister to provide clarification on this matter and take appropriate action in accordance with the rules of privileges.
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7 injured as Bengaluru-Kamakhya Express derails in Odisha
Cuttack (PTI): Seven people were injured as an express train derailed in Odisha's Cuttack district on Sunday, officials said. Eleven coaches of the SMVT Bengaluru-Kamakhya AC Express derailed at Nirgundi near Manguli at 11.54 am, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the East Coast Railway Ashok Kumar Mishra said.
Odisha Fire Service Director-General Sudhansu Sarangi said seven injured people have been rescued and taken to a nearby hospital. "The maximum number of injured persons should not be more than 10," he said. Personnel of the NDRF and Odisha Fire Service were assisting the railway in the rescue operation, he added.
The train was heading to Kamakhya station in Assam's Guwahati from Bengaluru. Mishra said a relief train has been sent to the spot.
"Arrangements are being made to help the affected passengers reach their destinations. Our priority is to restore the line at the earliest and accordingly, other trains will be diverted," he said.
Three trains were diverted because of the derailment. These trains are Dhauli Express, Neelachal Express and Purulia Express, officials said.
Helplines -- 8455885999 and 8991124238 -- have also been activated by the railways, they said.
