Northern Railways’ Lucknow division spends Rs. 69.5 Lakh to catch 168 Rats in 3 years
Lucknow: Northern Railways' Lucknow division has incurred an expenditure of ₹69.5 lakh between 2020 and 2022 to capture a total of 168 rats, according to an RTI response obtained by activist Chandrashekhar Gaur. This averages out to about ₹23.2 lakh per year or roughly ₹41,000 per rat.
The primary maintenance responsibility for pest and rodent control activities lies with the railways. In this case, Lucknow division outsourced rodent control to M/S Central Warehousing Corporation, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, on a contract basis since 2019.
The response from the Lucknow division did not include details on the extent of damage caused by rodents, with the central public information officer stating, "details not available for damaged goods and items. No assessment of damage has been made."
Meanwhile, the Ambala division reported an expense of Rs.39.3 lakh for pest control, rodent control, and fumigation treatment between April 2020 and March 2023, without specifying the costs for rodent control or the number of rats captured. The Delhi Division mentioned an ongoing contract for pest and rodent control on passenger trains without providing further details.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
