Fight there not here: Speaker Om Birla tells Shobha Karandlaje
New Delhi: "Fight there, not here," was the cryptic remark of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla when a ruling BJP member from Karnataka spoke in Lok Sabha on Thursday about the state's long standing dispute with Tamil Nadu over Cauvery water.
When Karnataka MP Shobha Karandlaje spoke during Question Hour about the scarcity of drinking water in different parts of her state, she also mentioned about Karnataka's disputes with Tamil Nadu over Cauvery water, pointing towards members from her neighbouring state sitting in opposition benches, and with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The Speaker remarked, "fight there, not here", leading to a peal of laughter from members.
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said most of the river water disputes among states were either in courts or in tribunals.
Shekhawat also sought cooperation from states to resolve such issues. The minister said under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a total of 1,592 blocks have been selected in 256 ground water stressed districts.
"Out of 1,592 blocks, 312 are critical blocks, 1,186 are over-exploited blocks and 94 blocks are with low groundwater availability. It is a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign," he said.
Shekhawat said as reported by states on Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), out of total 17.87 crore rural households in the country, about 3.27 crore (about 18.33 per cent) rural households are getting drinking water from tap connection.
"As announced in the Union Budget Speech 2019-20, it has been envisaged to ensure piped water supply to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission," he said.
The minister said the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, a water conservation campaign is a collaborative effort of various ministries, departments of the government of India and state governments, being coordinated by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti.
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31 students test positive during anti-drug screening drive in educational institutions in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Thirty-one students tested positive during an anti-drug screening drive conducted in educational institutions in Vijayanagar area of the city, police said on Thursday.
The drive was conducted as part of Karnataka State Police department's newly introduced initiative called "Sanmitra" aimed to address the serious issue of drug addiction, which has been severely impacting the youth across the state, they said.
This initiative aims to adopt a transformative approach to find solutions and take compassionate steps towards building a drug-free society, police said.
According to police, as part of this directive, on March 4, under the leadership of DCP West Division Yatheesh N, inspections related to drug consumption were conducted within the limits of Vijayanagar Sub-Division police stations under Bengaluru City Police Commissionerate.
With the consent and no-objection certificates obtained from the management of six educational institutions and two hostels, inspections and checks were carried out.
"Urine samples were collected from more than 1,200 students, out of which 585 samples were randomly tested, and 31 samples were found to be positive," police said in a statement.
The operation was conducted with the full cooperation of officers and staff of local police stations, along with doctors, technicians, and staff from nearby hospitals, police said.
Necessary arrangements will be made to provide counseling with mental health professionals and to ensure required medical support for those in need, they said.
The identity and family details of individuals tested will be kept strictly confidential, police assured.
