Railway development works in coastal Karnataka will be expedited, says Union Minister Somanna
Mangaluru: Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna announced that a blueprint for upgrading Mangaluru Central Railway Station to a higher standard will be prepared within two months. The minister visited the station on Wednesday to review the progress of various railway development projects.
Addressing pressperosns, Somanna highlighted the lag in railway development between Mangaluru and Karwar, covering Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra. He stated that experts, representatives, and officials would collaborate to draft a comprehensive plan within two months.
Senior railway officials briefed Minister Somanna on the ongoing development efforts at Mangaluru Central.
In response to questions about the Valmiki Development Corporation scandal and the MUDA scandal, Minister Somanna remarked on the noticeable difference between the current Siddaramaiah and his former self during his tenure as a minister and MLA. Somanna urged Siddaramaiah to address public concerns transparently to restore his former image.
Regarding the recent landslide near Shirur in Uttara Kannada on the highway and the potential risk to railway lines, Minister Somanna assured that the railway department has its own disaster management systems, distinct from NDRF and SDRF. He emphasized that war rooms and precautionary measures are in place, especially given the heavy rainfall this season. Coordination with district officials ensures immediate action in emergencies.
Somanna also mentioned plans to discuss permanent solutions with central railway ministers, stressing the importance of uninterrupted rail service for both goods and passenger trains despite adverse weather conditions.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases; Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
