Mazagon Dock rebuilding Kerala anganwadis
Thiruvalla (Kerala) Aug 26 : Officials from the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL) were working overtime to make sure that water-logged anganwadis in the worst affected Kerala districts were getting cleaned up, a company executive said here on Sunday.
Led by former naval captain Ramesh Babu, seven officials from MDSL, representatives of the 15th Kerala Battalion, NCC and volunteers of the Mar Thoma College have cleaned up more than a dozen anganwadis and a few schools in the state's central districts of Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta.
The Logistics Skill Council of India has provided the transportation arrangements of the MSDL team. MSDL had first started this initiative in Kozhikode. It donated Rs 1 lakh and over 200 kits comprising all the cleaning materials.
"But later we realised that it was the central districts that needed more attention. We arrived here on August 16 and have been engaged in the cleaning operations ever since," said Babu, presently a General Manager at MDSL.
He said their main aim was to clean up all the anganwadis but were flooded with calls from various organisations to clean up schools also.
"We have agreed that we will support them, but on condition that when these organisations clean up the schools, they should clean the nearest anganwadi too," added Babu.
The Gujarat and Nasik Malayalee Associations have sent the ration for these anganwadis. Ever since monsoon rains began lashing Kerala since May 29, a total of 417 people have died.
This month, unprecedented floods caused widespread destruction and forced more than a million people to flee their homes to take shelter in relief centres.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday evening said over 6.05 lakh people were still sheltered in 1,822 camps.
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What is Iran’s 10-point plan? Key demands ahead of US talks in Islamabad
Tehran/Islamabad: Iran has outlined a 10-point plan as the basis for upcoming talks with the United States, expected to begin in Islamabad on April 11, according to a statement from the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.
The plan lays out Tehran’s key political, military and economic demands, and is being seen as a framework for negotiations following the recent escalation in the region.
Strait of Hormuz at the centre
A major focus of the plan is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route. Iran has proposed “controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces,” which it says would give the country a unique economic and geopolitical position.
The plan also calls for the “establishment of a safe transit protocol” in the Strait that would guarantee Iran’s dominance under an agreed mechanism.
Call to end conflict
Iran has demanded “the necessity of ending the war against all elements of the axis of resistance,” signalling its expectation that hostilities should stop not only in Iran but also involving allied groups in the region.
US troop withdrawal
Another key demand is the “withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases and deployment points in the region,” indicating Tehran’s long-standing position against American military presence in West Asia.
Sanctions relief and compensation
The plan places strong emphasis on economic measures. It calls for “full payment of Iran’s damages according to estimates,” along with “the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions of the Board of Governors and the Security Council.”
It also seeks “the release of all Iranian assets and properties frozen abroad,” which have been a major point of contention for years.
Binding global guarantee
Finally, Iran has demanded that all these terms be formally recognised through “a binding Security Council resolution,” suggesting it wants international legal backing to ensure enforcement.
What this means
The 10-point plan reflects Iran’s broader push for security guarantees, economic relief and regional influence. The upcoming talks in Islamabad are expected to test how far both sides are willing to negotiate on these demands.
