Mangaluru: Residents demand for action against private city buses in top-cop's call-in programme
Jeppinamogaru resident appeals for re-appointing home guard Hameed
Mangaluru: During the one-hour phone-in program held by Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Kuldeep Kumar Jain on Saturday, 32 residents called the phone line and most of them voiced their concerns about the disturbance caused by private city buses, various other topics including parking of vehicles in busy spots of the city, driving at a speed exceeding the limits on internal roads were addressed.
Meanwhile, a caller, Harish from Jeppinamogaru appealed to the commissioner to re-appoint Hameed who was posted at the Jeppinamogaru junction and performed his duty efficiently. But was removed from his duty at the junction post COVID-19.
Hearing his appeal, the commissioner expressed happiness over the matter that even though the people are not aware of the names of the senior police officials, they are aware about the names of the home guards posted in their respective localities.
A man from Mulki who had called the phone line informed the commissioner that he is involved in (Chit funds). Furthermore, expressing his pain to the commissioner, “the man stated that since some people have not paid the money as agreed, I am unable to settle dues with others, and now I am receiving threats. I need to leave town immediately.”
Responding to the man’s plight, the commissioner asked him to drop his plans of leaving the town and requested him to provide complete details of his occupation, based on which Jain said, “Let's see how action can be taken.”
Jain further informed that bus owners themselves have guaranteed to undertake safety of both passengers and the bus crew, this comes after the tragic death of a bus conductor after he fell from the footboard of a private city bus near Nanthoor.
Furthermore, he stated that a meeting concerning increasing the safety of passengers in private city buses has been conducted with the bus owners. “ Instructions have been issued to the bus owners to strictly install doors on new buses, and In the case of old buses, an instruction has also been given that the driver should move the vehicle only after ensuring that there is no one on the footboard of the bus.
In addition, responding to a reporter's question about the security measures in place, Jain mentioned that police officers deployed at famous junctions of the city along with bus owners are overseeing, inspecting that safety measures are being taken within the buses.
In the meantime, a local shopkeeper who called the commissioner stated that “he supports the drug free campaign, and it is going well, however why a fine is being imposed on selling cigarettes,” He questioned.
Responding to the shopkeeper’s query, Jain gently added that “we have no intention of causing you trouble. However, as per the law, the sale of such items is not allowed within 100 meters of schools and colleges. Additionally, there is no permission to sell loose cigarettes. The company cannot influence or allow the sale of cigarettes without packs.”
Other major complaints and demands from the residents include:
- Vehicles left unattended along the stretch from Pumpwell to Padil road need to be removed
- Over the past few days, vehicle owners have been unable to obtain pollution certificates due to server outage
- A signal should be installed near the Haleyangadi, Mulki junction.
- In prominent locations across the city, shopkeepers are placing 'No Parking' boards on footpaths. Although the police have taken action once, it continues to persist
- It is essential to implement traffic rules on Thokkottu-Konaje Pilar Road, where vehicles exceed speed limits.
- Elderly citizens are having a tough time finding seats on buses. Even when informed to the conductors, they do not make arrangements. Senior citizens also have problems boarding the buses due to the footboard's height.
- Some of the auto drivers in the city unnecessarily honk horns
- It is difficult to walk on the footpath stretch near Valencia as drivers of ambulances leave the doors of their vehicles open.
- Illegal sand mining is taking place near Adoor, Gurupura, and Maravoor during the night.
- CCTV cameras need to be installed near the Muthappan Temple, situated close to the Central Railway Station.
DCP Anshu Kumar and ACP Geetha Kulakarni were present on this occasion.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
