MP Saket Gokhale demands disaster relief for Kerala, West Bengal in Union Budget 2024
New Delhi: In a recent letter, MP Saket Gokhale has called on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to include provisions for disaster relief for the states of Kerala and West Bengal in the Union Budget 2024. This demand comes in the wake of devastating landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, and severe flooding in North Bengal.
Gokhale, along with fellow MP Sushmita Dev, visited the affected areas in Wayanad on Friday and Saturday. They were sent by their party leader, Mamata Banerjee, to assess the situation and show support for the victims. Gokhale described the scene as a "carnage," with hundreds of lives lost and numerous families left without homes. The Kerala administration is reportedly working diligently to manage the crisis, but the task of rebuilding over 500 destroyed homes remains a significant challenge. According to Gokhale, the media coverage does not fully capture the extent of the disaster.
In West Bengal, the flooding has similarly displaced many people who now require rehabilitation. Gokhale criticized the central government for withholding relief funds, alleging that the Modi administration is neglecting these states because they are governed by opposition parties.
He further said that Union Government revenues are derived from taxes paid by citizens across all states, including Kerala and Bengal, and should be used for the welfare of all Indians, especially in times of disaster.
Gokhale urged the Finance Minister to set aside political differences and provide the necessary flood and disaster relief in the budget, stating that it is the government's duty to assist affected citizens.
Important:
— Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) August 5, 2024
I've written to Finance Minister @nsitharaman demanding that the states of Kerala & West Bengal be included in the Union Budget 2024 for providing disaster relief to people affected by the landslide in Wayanad & the floods in North Bengal.
Along with my colleague… pic.twitter.com/HIlKa4KvMb
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Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed at gunpoint by woman he met through matrimonial website
Mathura(UP), Apr 5 (PTI): A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an "obscene video" at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday.
The woman from Mathura, who was allegedly in on the plan to rob him, was working with other accomplices, the ex-armyman said in his complaint filed on Thursday.
According to Barsana Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kamal Singh, Colonel Rajneesh Soni (retired), a resident of Gurugram, reported that he was contacted by a woman from Barsana on a matrimonial website in January. The woman allegedly agreed to marry him, and they began communicating.
The woman allegedly persuaded the colonel to visit Barsana on January 25, requesting that he visit the Radharani temple. When he arrived, she arranged for his stay at a guest house and took him on a tour of the area, including a visit to the temple, the complainant said.
After returning to the guest house, the woman and her accomplices allegedly told the colonel that her brother had been involved in an accident and they needed to leave immediately. They then led him to a waiting car.
"Once outside the town limits, the colonel alleges that he was attacked by the occupants of the car. They seized his phone, physically assaulted him, and forced him to contact relatives and friends to transfer money," the SHO said.
"He was then taken back to the guest house, where he was allegedly forced to participate in obscene videos and photographs at gunpoint. He was threatened that the videos would be made public if he reported the incident," the officer said.
The colonel has alleged that his purse, bag, gold chain, debit card and Rs. 12,000 in cash were stolen from the guest house.
After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the perpetrators himself, the colonel finally reported the incident to the Barsana police two days ago, he said.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and all facts are being investigated. Further action will be taken as per facts found in the investigation," the SHO said.
