Kerala CM meets PM; seeks release of Rs 2,220 cr for Wayanad landslide reconstruction works
New Delhi (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought the Centre's intervention on various issues, including the immediate release of over Rs 2,220 crore for Wayanad landslide-related reconstruction works and steps to improve the state's financial situation.
Briefing the media in the national capital, Vijayan said key issues were raised with the prime minister during the meeting.
Apart from funds for Wayanad relief works, the chief minister sought the central government's approval for setting up an AIIMS and increasing the state's borrowing limits.
During the meeting with Modi, the Kerala chief minister urged him to release Rs 2,221.03 crore NDRF (National Disaster Relief Fund) for Wayanad landslide-related reconstruction works.
There have been differences between Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front and the BJP-ruled Centre over funds for the Wayanad relief works. Many people died, and massive damage was caused due to the natural calamity in Wayanad last year.
Vijayan said he also sought immediate approval for establishing the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Kinaloor in Kozhikode. It has been a long-standing demand to have an AIIMS in Kerala.
The issues related to lower borrowing limits and the financial woes faced by the state were also discussed by the chief minister with the prime minister.
Vijayan also shared a photo of the meeting with the prime minister on his X handle.
On his visit to the national capital, Vijayan also held meetings with Union ministers Amit Shah, J P Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman and Nitin Gadkari on Thursday.
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3 officials of private banks arrested in Gujarat in Rs 2,500 crore cyber fraud; 20 held so far
Rajkot (PTI): Three officials of leading private banks were arrested for their alleged involvement in a Rs 2,500-crore cyber fraud racket in Gujarat's Rajkot district, bringing the number of those held so far in the case to 20, police said on Monday.
Those arrested were identified as Maulik Kamani, a personal manager at Yes Bank in Padadhari; Kalpesh Dangariya, a manager at Axis Bank in Jamnagar; and Anurag Baldha, a personal banker with HDFC Bank, Rajkot (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vijay Gurjar said.
Dangariya and Baldha were previously employed with Yes Bank, he added.
Kamani allegedly assisted the earlier arrested accused in opening and managing suspicious accounts. He also helped bypass banking alerts triggered by high-value transactions by submitting additional documentation to keep accounts active, the SP said.
Kamani was allegedly involved in cash withdrawals that were later routed through hawala channels (illegal money transfer system), supported by digital evidence recovered from his mobile device, he added.
Dangariya is accused of facilitating the opening of fraudulent accounts using fake or misrepresented identities, police said.
He also assisted in structuring documentation, including Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC)-related papers, to prevent transactions from being flagged as suspicious, they said.
On the other hand, Baldha opened new accounts after verification and certification processes as part of the racket, Gurjar informed.
All the three accused are in police custody, while others are in jail under judicial remand, SP said.
So far, police have identified 85 bank accounts linked to the racket with 535 complaints filed on the cyber crime portal.
The total transaction linked to the cyber fraud exceeds Rs 2,500 crore, police said.
The earlier fraud amount was pegged by police at Rs 1,500 crore.
