PM arrives in Mangaluru to inaugurate, lay foundation for slew of projects
Mangaluru (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived here on Friday to inaugurate and lay the foundation for mechanisation and industrialisation projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore, and address a mega event.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was among those who received the Prime Minister in the coastal city.
He is slated to fly to New Mangaluru Port Authority (NMPA) premises at Panambur by a chopper.
After inaugurating or laying foundations to various projects there, he will arrive at the Goldfinch city grounds here to attend a public meeting.
The projects that PM Modi will inaugurate or lay foundations include inauguration of the project worth over Rs 280 crore for mechanisation of Berth No. 14 for handling containers and other cargo undertaken by the NMPA, laying the foundation stone of five projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore undertaken by the port.
He will also inaugurate two projects undertaken by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) -- BS VI Upgradation Project and Sea Water Desalination Plant -- worth Rs 1,830 crore and Rs 680 crore, respectively.
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Misuse of power, money to control election mechanism seen during Maharashtra polls: Sharad Pawar
Pune (PTI): NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed the misuse of power and money to control the entire election mechanism, which was never before seen in any state assembly or national polls, was witnessed in Maharashtra.
Pawar made the statement when he visited senior activist Dr Baba Adhav, who is protesting against the alleged "misuse of EVMs" in the recent state polls in Maharashtra.
Adhav, who is in his 90s, began his three-day protest at Phule Wada, the residence of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, in the city on Thursday.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), have been alleging manipulation of EVMs in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly elections, which saw a landslide victory by the Mahayuti.
The Mahayuti, comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, won 230 out of 288 assembly seats in the November 20 polls, while the MVA managed just 46 seats.Talking to reporters, Pawar said elections were conducted recently in the country, and there is a restlessness among the people about these.
Baba Adhav's agitation represents this restlessness, he said.
He said, "There is a murmur among the people that the recent polls in Maharashtra saw 'misuse of power' and 'floods of money', which was never seen in the past. Such things are heard of in local-level polls, but taking over the entire election mechanism with the help of money and misuse of power was not seen before. However, we witnessed it in Maharashtra, and people are restless now."
He added that people were recalling late socialist ideologue Jaiprakash Narayan and felt somebody should take a step forward.
"I heard Baba Adhav has taken a lead into this issue and is agitating at Phule Wada. His protest gives hope to the people, but it is not enough. A mass revolt is necessary, as the danger of the parliamentary democracy getting destroyed looms," Pawar said.
The former Union minister said those who have reins of the country in their hands are least bothered about this.
"Despite widespread discussion over it (alleged misuse of EVMs) in the country, whenever the opposition tries to raise the issue in the Parliament, they are not allowed to speak. Opposition leaders have been seeking an opportunity to speak on these issues for six days, but their demands have not been accepted even once. It shows they want to attack parliamentary democracy," he claimed.
He said Dr Adhav's protest is a fine example of someone revolting against the issue and expressed confidence that his protest will create a ripple effect.
