Ajit absent as Shinde and Fadnavis visit RSS founder's memorial; 'optics' won't work, says NCP (SP)
Mumbai, Sep 01: NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday didn't join his Cabinet colleagues Devendra Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in visiting the Nagpur-based memorial of the RSS founder.
Taking a swipe, NCP (SP) leader and MLA Jitendra Awhad said people will not be fooled by Ajit Pawar's optics given that he shares power with the BJP, backed by the Sangh.
Shinde and Fadnavis visited Hedgewar's memorial in Nagpur ahead of a "Mazi Ladki Bahin" scheme function in Nagpur.
"Ajit Pawar is playing a game at a different level. He is politically sharing power with the BJP but has also been trying to project himself as a leader who will not visit the memorial (of the RSS founder). He (Ajit Pawar) acts differently in public as a politician and practices different politics behind curtains," Awhad alleged.
He rejected PM Narendra Modi's apology over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg district.
"Why did Modi raise the Veer Savarkar issue and demand an apology (for those who insulted) Savarkar while speaking about the statue incident? The Savarkar issue was over before the Lok Sabha elections. It means he (Modi) did not want to apologise. Why bring up an issue nobody was discussing?" Awhad stated.
He alleged the government's laxity in arresting the accused sculptor of the Shivaji Maharaj statue that crashed; suspects involved in Vishalgad fort vandalism, and the principal of the Badlapur school where two girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by an attendant.
The MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in Thane district also alleged that the state government had promised to increase the monthly wages of ASHA workers by Rs 5,000 last December, but the payment has not been revised yet.
"Additionally, the portion of their payment that used to come from local governing bodies has now been completely stopped. As a result, the approximately 72,000 ASHA workers in the state are being exploited by the state government," the former minister claimed.
Awhad alleged that Shiv Sena leader and state health minister Tanaji Sawant's "nausea" remarks on the association with NCP was a fallout of Pawar- who holds the finance ministry- objecting to clearing Sawant's file.
"Sawant intended to purchase a vehicle for Rs 30 lakh despite its actual price being only Rs 3 lakh. This caused a stormy discussion at the last Cabinet meeting where Ajit Pawar objected to the inflated price. It was revealed that Sawant had already taken a 50 per cent commission, but, the file regarding the purchase is now stuck." he alleged.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
