Rahul Gandhi donates one month salary to KPCC for rehabilitation work in Wayanad
Wayanad (Kerala) (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has donated his one month's salary -- Rs 2.3 lakh -- to the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) towards rehabilitation activities for the victims of the Wayanad landslides, the party's state unit said on Wednesday.
KPCC general secretary M Liju, in a statement, said that the donation was made to the funds being collected by the Congress' state unit as part of Gandhi's announcement that the party will build and provide 100 houses to the people of Wayanad who lost their loved ones, homes and livelihoods in the devastating landslides of July 30.
As part of the fundraising, a mobile app -- 'Stand with Wayand - INC -- has been created, the statement said.
It also said that Congress MP K Sudhakaran was personally assessing the progress of the Wayanad rehabilitation work.
It further said that party units, subsidiaries, MPs and MLAs have been notified about the amounts to be donated by them.
"Donations can be transferred directly by the Congress workers, supporters and leaders through the mobile app. Once the donation is received in the bank account, the donor will receive a direct message via SMS and a digital receipt with the signature of KPCC president K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan," the statement said.
The KPCC has formed a nine-member committee to spearhead the fund-raising campaign and reconstruction activities.
The KPCC has exempted its mandalam committees in Wayanad district from the fundraising activities.
Over 200 people died and 78 are still missing in the landslides that hit Punchirimattam, Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages under the Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad on July 30.
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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.
