T20 world champions India finally depart from Barbados
Bridgetown (Barbados) Jul 3: The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team finally departed for Delhi aboard a charter flight from the Grantley Adams International airport on Wednesday after being stranded here for three days due to a category 4 hurricane.
The Air India special charter flight AIC24WC -- Air India Champions 24 World Cup -- took off around 4:50am local time and will land in the Indian national capital on Thursday at around 6:20 am (IST).
"Coming home," posted India captain Rohit Sharma on Instagram, posing with the trophy in the aircraft before it took off.
The Indian squad, its support staff, the players' families and some board officials are aboard the flight along with members of the travelling media contingent. The flight has been arranged by the BCCI.
The side won the title after pulling off a thrilling seven-run win over South Africa in the final on Saturday.
The Boeing 777, which took off from New Jersey, USA on July 2, landed in Barbados around 2am local time and the airport staff here stated that they had not seen a bigger plane land at the Grantley Adams International airport, which resumed its operations on Tuesday.
"Air India managed to send a flight on a charter basis in close coordination with the BCCI officials to bring the players home. Fortunately, this aircraft could be made available after accommodating the passengers due to fly from Newark to Delhi in another Air India flight," a source close to the developments said.
"These passengers could have been inconvenienced but would have wholeheartedly supported the change to ensure our champions come back."
The players are set to be felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi within hours of returning to the country. Plans are also afoot to have a road show in Mumbai to honour the triumphant players, who ended a trophy drought of 11 years.
Earlier, the Indian team was scheduled to leave around 6pm local time on July 2 and arrive at 7.45pm (IST) on Wednesday but the departure was delayed as the plane landed late here.
Hurricane Beryl is now headed towards Jamaica.
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Karnataka Congress MLA Gaviyappa wants CM to stop some poll guarantees, draws DK Shivakumar's ire
Bengaluru/Vijayanagara, Nov 26: Karnataka Congress MLA H R Gaviyappa on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop some poll guarantees, citing lack of funds, which drew sharp response from Deputy CM D K Shivakumar.
The ruling party MLA from Vijayanagara suggested that the election guarantees have made it difficult to provide houses to the poor in the state.
“Because of guarantee schemes, there is difficulty in providing houses to poor. We are also asking the Chief Minister to drop two or three schemes, which are not needed. Let’s see what the Chief Minister says,” Gaviyappa said in a public meeting in Vijayanagara.
He, however, maintained that he would stand by the decision taken by the Chief Minister.
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According to the Congress MLA, the CM raised Rs 40,000 crore this year keeping development in mind.
The legislator's statement irked Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar.
“This is Congress party. I am going to issue him a showcause notice. He can’t do that. No question of closing any guarantee. We have committed to the people of Karnataka. No one can raise their voice (against the guarantees),” the Deputy CM, who is also the Congress state president told media in Bengaluru.
He said a Congress MLA cannot speak against the guarantees.
Those who are ineligible will not get the benefit, Shivakumar said adding the same policy has been adopted in the recent revision of BPL cards.
The Karnataka government has decided to remove the government employees and income tax payees from the list of BPL card holders as per the Central government norms.
