Don't believe in fake narratives on Constitution: Ajit Pawar to NCP workers
Baramati (Maharashtra) (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday asked NCP workers to trust him and not to believe in fake narratives, including about attempts to change the Constitution, spread by opponents.
"Till we are alive no one will dare to change the Constitution," he said addressing workers of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at Baramati in Pune district.
Pawar said he believes in using power for the welfare of the poor, farmers and women and the state budget presented by him (last month during the monsoon session of the legislature highlights this objective.
"Poverty alleviation and development is my party's agenda while my opponents have focused on spreading fake narratives," he said and asked his supporters to trust him.
The deputy CM said he has asked Union minister Amit Shah to increase the MSP (minimum support price) of sugar, and added that one should not believe the "fake propaganda" that milk powder and onion were being imported.
He said the NCP and the ruling Mahayuti allies (which also comprises BJP and Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde) will ensure no injustice is meted to anyone from any caste or religion.
"Being emotional will not ensure development but we have to work tirelessly," he said adding that as national president of the NCP, he will be touring the state till the assembly polls, which are due in October.
Pawar said the Ladki Bahin scheme (for financial assistance to women), and measures like three free LPG cylinders, free college education for girls, free electricity for farmers and skilled entrepreneurship for youth were included in the budget with an aim to ensure the welfare of all sections of the society.
Speaking on the occasion, senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal claimed that on the day (July 9) an all-party meeting was convened by CM Shinde to discuss the reservation issue, there was a call from Baramati at 5 pm and all opposition leaders boycotted the meet.
Baramati is the bastion of opposition NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar.
Bhujbal said, "Shouldn't senior leaders take a stand on resolving caste tensions. We are witnessing caste divisions among Marathas and OBCs (Other Backward Classes). We want Marathas to get reservations but not at the cost of OBCs."
The all-party meeting on the Maratha reservation issue was convened by the government ahead of the assembly polls due in October to discuss the community’s demands, including quota under the OBC category.
Last month, OBC activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare went on a hunger strike demanding that the draft notification that gives Kunbi certificates to Marathas to avail quota benefits under the OBC category be scrapped.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
