Cong suspends 'Jan Samvad Yatra' in Marathwada after police lathi-charge on Maratha quota agitators
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra Congress has temporarily suspended its 'Jan Samvad Yatra' in all districts of Marathwada scheduled from Sunday following tension in the region after police lathi-charge on Maratha quota agitators in Jalna district.
"New dates will be announced soon," senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said in a post on X.
Chavan, who was to lead the yatra in Marathwada, said it has been temporarily suspended due to the prevailing situation after the police lathi-charge.
On Friday, police baton-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi on Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna after the protesters refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike to hospital during an agitation seeking reservation for the Maratha community.
Around 40 policemen and several protesters were injured and many buses were set on fire during the violence that erupted there. More than 350 people have been booked for alleged involvement in the untoward incidents.
The Maharashtra Congress last month announced its plans to hold the 'Jan Samvad Yatra' from September 3 to 12 to reach out to the people and galvanise the cadre as well as to highlight "failures" of the BJP government at the Centre.
State Congress chief Nana Patole had said their party leaders will travel at taluka, village and city levels in all regions during the period to "highlight the failures of the (BJP) government and spread the message of the opposition alliance".
The yatra in east Vidarbha region is to be led by Patole, while Congress group leader in the state legislative council Satej Patil will participate in the march in Kolhapur (western Maharashtra).
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298 persons killed in Wayanad landslides: Govt tells Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): A total of 298 people were killed during the landslides that hit Kerala's Wayanad district last year, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that while the Centre does not maintain a central data of deaths/missing persons due to disasters, including landslides, the Kerala government informed it that the total number of deaths due to the landslide in Wayanad was 298.
Out of these, 32 missing persons have been declared as deceased, the minister told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Asked about the compensation provided by the Centre to the state, Rai said that based on a report of the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT), the central government approved an amount of Rs 153.47 crore, subject to the adjustment of 50 per cent of balance available in the state disaster response fund account, for the landslides, flash flood of 2024.
The amount also includes assistance for the air bills for utilising the services of the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters for rescue and relief, as per actual, and actual expenditure for the clearance of debris, he said.
Besides, an amount of Rs 388 crore (Rs 291.20 crore central share plus Rs 96.80 crore state share) has been allocated to the Government of Kerala for the financial year 2024-25 in SDRF, he said.
The instalment of Rs 145.60 crore of the central share was released on July 31, 2024.
The second instalment of Rs 145.60 crore of the central share was also released on October 1, 2024 in advance to the state, the minister said.
He added that the Kerala Accountant General reported a balance of Rs 394.99 crore in its SDRF account as on April 1, 2024.
Thus, "sufficient fund" is available in the SDRF account of the state for relief operations, he said.
Rai said Kerala conducted a Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) estimating a total requirement of Rs 2,219 crore for recovery and reconstruction plan.
The landslides destroyed large tracts of three Wayanad villages--Punchirimattom, Chooralmala and Mundakkai--apart from some in Attamala when the disaster struck on July 30 last year.
