Police use force as Youth Congress protests against Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Congress' youth wing's protest march to the secretariat demanding the resignation of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over LDF MLA P V Anvar's allegations against top IPS officers in the state turned violent as police used water cannons on the protestors and lathi-charged them.
The state vice-president of the Youth Congress, Abin Varkey, was surrounded by police personnel and brutally beaten, causing injuries to his head, according to visuals shown on TV channels.
Varkey, who was seen bleeding from his head due to the beating, refused to leave the protest site for the hospital and demanded action against a certain police officer.
Several other YC activists were injured in the police action, according to the visuals.
While Varkey refused to budge from the site, YC state president Rahul Mamkootathil was forcibly removed from the area and put in a police bus and taken away despite the protestors efforts to prevent it.
Prior to the area outside the secretariat turning into a battle zone, the YC activists shouted slogans against the Left government, Vijayan, his political secretary P Sasi and ADGP (law and order) M R Ajithkumar.
Mamkootathil alleged that Vijayan, Sasi and the ADGP have turned the secretariat into an underworld hub.
On Wednesday, the Youth Congress had held protests in various parts of Kerala demanding the CM's resignation in connection with the allegations by Anvar against Sasi and some top IPS officers in the state.
The Congress party will carry out a protest march to the secretariat on Friday on the same issue.
Putting the CPI(M)-led government in a spot, Anvar, the MLA from Nilambur, had on Sunday accused Vijayan's political secretary P Sasi and ADGP (Law and Order) Ajith Kumar of breaching trust and failing to discharge their duties honestly.
He had alleged that Kumar tapped ministers' phone conversations, had links with gold smuggling rackets and was involved in serious crimes.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
