Mangaluru Dasara celebrations from Sep 26, 10 lakh people expected to attend
Mangaluru, Sep 19: The Mangaluru Dasara festival will be celebrated at the Kudroli Gokarnanatha temple from September 26 to October 6, former Union Minister B Janaradhan Poojary, patron of the temple, has said.
This year's celebrations will be unique as the festival could not be held during the previous two years on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, he told reporters here on Sunday.
More than 10 lakh people from various districts of the state are expected to arrive in the city for the celebrations and preparations are on to hold the festival on a grand scale, he said.
Religious rituals will be held every day and food will be served to devotees. It is proposed to hold 'Chandika Yaga' in the glass house for the convenience of devotees, Poojary said.
Poojary said he will personally invite Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to inaugurate the festivities. The timing will be confirmed depending on the availability of the chief minister, he added.
Temple treasurer R Padmaraj said a silver pedestal weighing 12 kg for Goddess Sharada, being made at a cost of Rs 12 lakh, will be offered on September 24. A family of devotees will be offering a silver veena to the temple.
Certain changes have been made in the holding of the Dasara procession as per the convenience of devotees, he said.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
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.
