Mangaluru, Oct 24: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary Mamatha Gatti on Monday demanded the resignation of Housing Minister V Somanna for allegedly slapping a woman at a public event.

The act showed the minister's attitude towards women and he should immediately tender his resignation or Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should sack him from the post, she said at a press meet here.

She alleged that women were facing attacks ever since the BJP came to power in the state.

Somanna on Sunday apologised after he allegedly slapped a woman who approached him with a plea to redress her grievance.

The incident, the video of which went viral on social media, took place when the Housing and Infrastructure Minister was participating in a property document distribution ceremony at Hangla village in Chamarajanagar district.

Referring to the social media attack on KPCC coordinator Prathibha Kulai, Gatti asked the police to take stringent action against the culprits behind the circulation of malicious posts on her.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.

Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.

"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.

"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country

"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.

"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.

Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.

"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.

"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.