Ambulances turned into 'bull-ance': Akhilesh as pregnant woman taken to hospital in bullock cart
_vb_67.jpeg)
Hamirpur/Lucknow(PTI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav derided the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh on Monday after a video showed a pregnant woman in Hamirpur district being taken to hospital on a bullock cart through a muddy, waterlogged, unpaved road when an ambulance allegedly failed to reach her village.
He asked Uttar Pradesh's health minister to show concern for people's hardships beyond ceremonial appearances.
Sharing the video on X, Yadav accused the state government of "turning ambulances into bullock carts" and questioned its claims of development.
"Under the BJP's misrule, ambulances in Uttar Pradesh have turned into 'bull-ances'. Will a trillion-dollar economy run on bullock carts? The chief minister should look at the condition of roads and ambulances during his next field visit, or use Delhi's binoculars or drones if needed," he wrote in Hindi.
The incident occurred on Saturday in Parsadwa Dera Gau Ghat Chhani village, where the pregnant woman was taken about seven kilometres to the Sisolor Community Health Centre on a bullock cart by her 60-year-old father-in-law, Krishna Kumar Kevat, after an ambulance got stuck due to the muddy, unpaved road.
The journey through the swampy and uneven track took nearly three hours. Doctors informed the family that the delivery was still two days away and discharged her after primary treatment.
Locals said around 500 residents of the area face similar hardships every monsoon as the road turns into a muddy swamp, isolating them from nearby towns.
"In emergencies, we have no option but to carry patients on our shoulders or bullock carts," said social worker Arun Nishad, adding the villagers had staged a six-day protest in March last year, demanding a proper road.
The then sub-divisional magistrate had assured them that construction would begin after the Lok Sabha elections, but no work has started even after more than a year, he added.
Villagers claimed they have now appealed to the district administration and the local MLA to intervene and ensure the construction of a road connecting their village to the main road network.
Chief Development Officer of Parsadwa, Arun Kumar, said the panchayat had filled the path with mud before the monsoon as a precursor to laying a cement concrete road. "But it got damaged due to rain. Laying a concrete path will begin after the route dries up," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
ALSO READ: Mexico's Congress approves higher tariffs on goods from India, China and non-FTA nations
Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
ALSO READ: Search operation ends in Anjaw truck accident, 20 bodies recovered
Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
