Septic tanks have turned 'gas chambers' for workers: Shiv Sena
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday expressed concern over the death of sanitation workers in septic tanks and rued that neither the administration nor the society is sensitive towards their plight.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, heading the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, noted that despite the prevailing "clamour for cleanliness", its not clear if anyone realises the sense of anger in families of sanitation workers who lose their lives while cleaning septic tanks or sewers.
The party made the remarks in the editorial of its mouthpiece 'Saamana' after three sanitation workers died due to suffocation after getting trapped in a septic tank they were cleaning in the premises of a residential high-rise in suburban Govandi on Monday.
The Sena alleged neither the administration nor the society is sensitive towards the fact that cleanliness has become 'Yamdoot' (messenger of death as per Hinduism) for the "true ambassadors of cleanliness", the sanitation workers.
The Marathi daily noted not only in Mumbai, such deadly incidents have occurred in Thane, Kalyan and Nashik in Maharashtra and in other states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, too.
Stating that septic tanks and manholes on roads have become "gas chambers" for sanitation workers, the Sena said, "Everyone, from the government to the society, has become proponents of cleanliness.
"But the same cleanliness has become Yamdoot for the sanitation workers who are the true ambassadors of cleanliness. But neither the administration nor the society is sensitive towards (the issue of their safety)."
Many people have lost their lives after slipping into open manholes on roads in Mumbai and its surrounding areas in the last few years.
The publication asked whether anyone will be able to fathom the anger and agony of families of sanitation workers who die in such unfortunate incidents.
The Sena, which also rules the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), did not name or specify any campaign as it talked about "clamour for cleanliness".
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a nation-wide cleanliness campaign, is one of the key initiatives launched by the Modi government after it first assumed office in 2014.
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Karnataka approves AI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru's Electronics City
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has approved the establishment of a CoE for AI in Biotechnology at IBAB in Electronics City (Phase 1), here.
The decision, taken by the state Cabinet on Thursday night, marks a significant step towards strengthening Karnataka’s leadership in emerging technologies, IT and biotechnology, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.
The centre will be established over four years with a total outlay of Rs 20 crore, in partnership with the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), according to a statement from the minister’s office.
"Karnataka has consistently been at the forefront of technological innovation. As we enter the decade of deep tech, our focus is on building future-ready capabilities at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology," Minister for IT and Biotechnology said.
"This Centre of Excellence will strengthen our research ecosystem, accelerate innovation and enable Karnataka to lead in high-impact next-generation technologies," he added.
Priyank added that the state government, through the Departments of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, is actively investing in emerging technologies and taking steps to strengthen Karnataka’s AI and deep-tech ecosystem.
The minister said the Cabinet has also approved the transfer of a 51 per cent stake in the Karnataka Technology & Innovation Museum Foundation (KTIMF) to the Unboxing BLR Foundation.
KTIMF was established by the Government of Karnataka as a not-for-profit organisation to promote innovation, technological awareness, startup culture and public engagement in science and technology, aligned with the state’s vision of building a robust innovation ecosystem, he said.
The Technology & Innovation Museum will be developed at the NGEF campus in Baiyappanahalli, Bengaluru, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with a total project cost of Rs 100 crore. Of this, Rs 49 crore will be contributed by the state government and Rs 51 crore by the private partner, he said.
