Cong leaders from K’taka to meet party brass in Delhi tomorrow to discuss plan for LS polls: DKShi
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said about 50 state Congress leaders and ministers will be meeting the party leadership in New Delhi on August 2 to strategise on a plan of action for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, General Secretaries K C Vengopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala among others are likely to participate in the meeting in the national capital.
Ahead of leaving for Delhi, Shivakumar, who is the Karnataka Congress president, said he will also be meeting few Union ministers to discuss issues and projects related to the state.
The meeting with the Congress top brass is seen as significant amid brewing discontent within the ruling party with as many as 30 legislators reportedly having written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the party leadership expressing concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies and functioning of certain ministers.
"There is a meeting in Delhi tomorrow, today I will be meeting some central Ministers there. There is party work and also government work. So, I'm going to Delhi," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Stating that the party meeting with state ministers and leaders in Delhi is keeping in mind the Lok Sabha polls, he said it is to discuss and plan a strategy on what all needs to be done in the interest of the Congress, ahead of elections.
Shivakumar further said the intention is that the district in-charge ministers should take the responsibility of elections and start touring from now itself. They should also reach out to people and keep tabs on the implementation of the flagship poll guarantee schemes, he said, adding a strategy will be planned for it in the meeting.
"Not only ministers and some legislators, about 8-10 non-MLA senior leaders have been called for the meeting. Also, MPs have been invited. Totally about 50 people, and they will meet the party leadership in three divisions," he added.
Several ruling party legislators are said to be miffed and have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and have not been granted powers to decide on transfers (of government servants) as requested. They are said to have expressed unhappiness regarding some ministers, alleging that they were not cooperating with them.
Following this, the Chief Minister had last week held a Congress Legislature Party meeting, where some legislators expressed their displeasure regarding behaviour and conduct of certain ministers.
There are also reports about talks regarding the need for a coordination committee, for better connect between government and the party, which has not been confirmed by the state Congress.
However, Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and several ministers of the state government have maintained that there is no disgruntlement in the ruling party.
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Tribal man brings dead sister's skeleton to bank to withdraw money from her account
Keonjhar (PTI): A tribal man in Odisha's Keonjhar district on Monday brought the skeleton of his dead sister to a bank to withdraw the money deposited in her name, police said.
The incident occurred at Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank located at Patana block of Keonjhar district. The man was identified as Jeetu Munda (50) of Dianali village. He was seeking to withdraw Rs 20,000 from the bank account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda (56), who died on January 26, 2026.
"I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death," an illiterate Jeetu Munda told reporters.
Patana Police Station Inspector in charge (IIC) Kiran Prasad Sahu, who reached the bank after getting information, said, "Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person's account."
However, after the incident, the police assured Jeetu Munda that they would facilitate the withdrawal of money from the bank account of his dead sister. Later, the skeleton was again buried at the graveyard in presence of police.
Meanwhile, local Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat said that he was not approached by anyone for the legal heir of late Kalra Munda. "Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue," the BDO said.
Meanwhile, bank sources said that the nominee in Kalra Munda's bank account was also dead. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the lone claimant over the money deposited in her name.
The local administration has directed the bank officers to make arrangements and ensure that Jeetu Munda, who is the only claimant as per the rules, gets the money as soon as possible.
