Modi inaugurates Janakpur-Ayodhya bus link, pledges Rs 100 crore aid
Janakpur (Nepal), May 11: In a bid to mend ties with its Himalayan neighbour, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Nepal on Friday on a two-day visit and launched the Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service besides pledging Rs 100 crore aid to develop Janakpur city.
Visiting Nepal for the first time since the 2015 border blockade blamed on India crippled Nepal's economy, Modi -- calling himself a pilgrim -- said his government gave top priority to relations with Kathmandu under his Neighbourhood First Policy.
He later held talks with Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari where the two leaders renewed their commitment to take their relations to new heights.
The Indian leader kicked off his visit through Janakpur where he performed special prayers with his Nepali counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli at the Ram Janaki temple. Then they inaugurated the "Ramayan Circuit" to promote tourism in Nepal and India.
"This will act as a foundation for strong people-to-people ties between our two countries," Modi said. The circuit is a part of Modi's vision to build a 650-km connectivity project.
Modi told Oli that he was honoured "to be received you the way you welcomed me here".
"Mere Bhai, this welcome is an honour to all Indian citizens," Modi said. This is Modi's third visit to Nepal since he became Prime Minister in 2014.
The Indian leader described his visit as "that of a pilgrim rather than as a Prime Minister" and participated in the civic reception bestowed upon him by Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City at the Rangabhumi Maidan. He was felicitated with a garland weighing 121 kg and a key to Janakpur city.
Addressing thousands, Modi said: "Ayodhya is incomplete without Janakidham. Similarly, Nepal is incomplete without India and India is incomplete without Nepal. Our ties are religious, based of deep faith and historical and complement to each others."
He began his speech in Maithali language followed by Bhojpuri and Nepali. He completed the rest of his address in Hindi. "Without Nepal, India's faith, belief and history are incomplete. Our 'Dhaam' is incomplete and Ram is also incomplete."
Modi announced assistance of Rs 100 crore for the development of Janakpur and said it will be added in the Ramayana Circuit while Lumbini will be included in the Buddhist Circuit.
Modi said he wanted to help Nepal to achieve development and prosperity, adding that he wanted to enhance better connectivity with Nepal through highways, information ways, transmission lines, railways, waterways and airways.
"We know that the regional development is connected with the development of Nepal... History is witness to the struggles faced together by India and Nepal. India is moving ahead to be one of the economic giants of the world and Nepal is following suit.
"These connectivity measures will help Nepal to get better market access, thereby encouraging the establishment of industries and employment creation."
He said the two sides can work on 5Ts -- Tradition, Trade, Tourism, Technology and Transport.
After completing his engagements in Janakpur, Modi arrived in Kathmandu where he was accorded a 21 gun salute and a guard of honour.
Modi paid a courtesy call on President Bhandari at the Rastrapati Bhawan and discussed matters relating to bilateral relations and mutual concern.
"The two leaders renewed their commitment to take our friendly relations to new heights, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.
Similarly, Modi also called on Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and held a discussion with Nepali Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali about areas of mutual interest.
He was scheduled to hold one-one-one talks with Oli where various India funded projects in Nepal will be discussed followed by delegation level talks and joint press briefing. Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Arun III hydroelectricity project in Sankhuwasabha district in eastern Nepal, undertaken by India's Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam, through video conferencing.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
