In a first, Jal Shakti Ministry invites over sixty MPs to discuss concerns about its schemes: Report
New Delhi: Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil has reportedly invited over sixty Lok Sabha MPs for an informal interaction on Thursday to address concerns raised during the recent discussion on his Ministry’s Demand for Grants for 2025–26.
The meeting, which will be held at the Parliament House Annexe building, is likely to see members discussing issues related to different schemes of the Ministry including the Jal Jeevan Mission and Namami Gange, as reported by The Indian Express.
This initiative comes in the backdrop of the Centre’s decision to send 100 teams of Central Nodal Officers (CNOs) for ground inspections of Jal Jeevan Mission projects across India, amid growing reports of irregularities in multiple states.
The invited 60 MPs represent almost all political parties in Parliament and had participated in the discussion on the Ministry's Demand for Grants 2025-26, TIE quoted its source as saying.
During the discussion held on March 19, several MPs flagged alleged corruption and mismanagement in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission. Notably, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MP Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke raised serious concerns about the status of water supply schemes in his Ahmednagar constituency in Maharashtra.
“Har Ghar Jal is also a very important scheme of our Prime Minister. A target of providing 55 litres water to every household has been set under this scheme. Around 830 schemes have been sanctioned in my constituency and 972 villages have been covered under this scheme. Officials claimed that out of 830, works of 230 schemes have been completed. But the ground reality is different and not even 50 schemes have been completed yet; a lot of corruption cases came to light and local villagers have sent me written complaints about it,” TIE quoted him as saying.
He also alleged widespread corruption in the tendering process, poor quality of work, and false billing for incomplete projects. “I have got photos and videos of these corrupt activities. I have sent a pen-drive and photocopies to the Hon’ble Minister too,” he added.
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Four engineering students held hostage, robbed of Rs 1.5 lakh near Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Four engineering students were allegedly held captive and robbed of Rs 1.5 lakh while returning after having biryani at a popular food joint on the outskirts of the city, police said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on December 21 when the students were returning on two-wheelers from an early morning trip to an eatery in Hoskote, they said.
One of the accused has been arrested, and efforts are on to nab the remaining suspects, police said.
According to the police, the students are from a private college in Bagalur. While returning from the eatery, they were allegedly intercepted near a toll plaza by a gang of men, who thrashed them and took away their mobile phones and two-wheelers.
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The gang allegedly took the students to a shed near Medahalli, held them captive, and robbed them. The assailants allegedly took Rs 40,000 in cash and transferred Rs 1.10 lakh from the victims’ bank accounts, a senior police officer said.
However, the students later got their vehicles back, he said.
Based on a complaint lodged by one of the students, a case has been registered at Avalahalli police station under sections related to kidnapping and dacoity. Further investigation is underway, police said.
