Chhattisgarh: Mobile tower installed at Kondapalli village in Naxal-affected Bijapur
Raipur (PTI): A mobile tower has been installed for the first time at Kondapalli village in Chhattisgarh's Naxal-affected Bijapur district, an area long cut off from the outside world, officials said on Sunday.
The village, about 450 km from state capital Raipur and located in the dense forests along the border with Telangana, did not have roads, electricity and drinking water until recently.
The installation of a mobile tower last week was not merely a technological step forward for the local community but a symbol of getting connected with the outside world, said a government statement.
His government was committed to ensure that every village and every family in Bastar region becomes part of the development mainstream, gains access to digital services, and sees new avenues of opportunity open for them, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai was quoted as saying in the statement.
This was the dawn of a new era of trust, transformation and new possibilities, he said.
Mobile network was being provided under the 'Niyad Nellanaar' (Your Good Village) scheme of the state government which aims to bring development to remote villages close to security camps, the statement said.
As the tower's activation was announced last week, excitement swept through Kondapalli as women, men and children marched to the tower site in a procession and performed traditional rituals. People danced to the beat of the 'mandar' drum and residents of neighbouring villages also joined in.
With mobile network, the villagers can now access banking services, Aadhaar, ration, health schemes, pension schemes and educational services, the release said.
Since a security camp was set up at Kondapalli in December 2024, the administration has been able to reach the village regularly. The long-defunct road in the area is being reconstructed by the Border Roads Organisation, and work on a 50-km stretch is currently under progress, the statement said.
Electricity reached the village for the first time only two months ago, changing daily life in many ways including how the children study and small businesses are run, the statement said, adding the administration has been conducting camps to ensure every family receives the benefits of government schemes.
Under the Niyad Nellanaar scheme, 18 community services under nine departments and 25 individual-centric schemes of 11 departments are being delivered in 403 villages around 69 new security camps in Bastar region which comprises seven districts including Bijapur.
Over the past two years, 728 mobile towers have been installed in the region. Additionally, 449 towers have been upgraded from 2G to 4G, the statement added.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
