Teacher on poll duty dies of heart attack in Chattisgarh
Kanker: A teacher, who was on election duty at a polling booth in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, died of a heart attack on Thursday, an official said.
The deceased, Tukalu Ram Nareti, an assistant teacher in a government school, was deputed as the polling officer at Kamta booth (no.186) in Antagarh area of Kanker Lok Sabha constituency where voting was underway, the official from the local administration said.
Nareti complained of chest pain around 6 am and fell unconscious at the polling station. He was immediately rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, the official said.
The body was sent for postmortem, he said.
Another officer was deployed at the polling booth in place of Nareti, he added.
Polling was underway since 7 am in Chhattisgarh's three Lok Sabha seats - Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund - in the second phase of polling in the state.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
