T'gana govt sets up helpline for kin of Hyderabad-Bengaluru bus accident victims
Hyderabad (PTI): The Telangana government on Friday set up a helpline to assist the families of passengers of the Hyderabad to Bengaluru private bus, which was involved in an accident in Kurnool district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The government, in a release, said that its officers M Sriramachandra (M 9912919545) and E Chittibabu (M 9440854433) can be contacted for help.
The helpline was set up following a directive by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who spoke to government Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy.
The Chief Minister instructed IAS officer S Harish and also Collector and Superintendent of Police of Gadwal district of Telangana, neighbouring Kurnool district, to reach the accident site and coordinate relief measures.
According to a Telangana government release, 43 people were on board the ill-fated bus. Of them, 23 managed to escape the tragedy, while 11 dead bodies have been found.
Details of the remaining people were being verified.
Meanwhile, Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said he would hold a meeting with his Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka counterparts to devise measures to prevent such accidents, given the high volume of daily bus travel between Telangana and Karnataka via Andhra Pradesh.
In a video posted on X, he warned private bus operators of strict action if they showed negligence in maintaining vehicle fitness and adhering to statutory regulations.
The owners should follow rules and ensure that the buses do not overspeed (as the private buses are known to travel at a high speed), Prabhakar said.
The ill-fated bus was registered in Odisha and was operating between Hyderabad and Bengaluru, he said.
The routine checks conducted by the transport department are often termed as harassment, he added.
Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and other leaders condoled the loss of lives in the bus accident.
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Mamata alleges BJP disrupted her Bhabanipur rally, Suvendu claims 'she's nervous'
Kolkata (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cut short her speech at a rally in her Bhabanipur constituency, alleging that the BJP was deliberately playing loud music from a nearby public meeting.
A peeved Banerjee said despite having the required permission of the Election Commission, her rally in Chakraberia was disrupted by the BJP, "who want to capture Bengal by intimidation and threat".
"It is not possible for me to go ahead with this meeting. If they can do such a thing in my constituency, imagine how undemocratic the BJP is. If they behave like this, I have to take legal action," she said.
"This is an insult, humiliation. BJP is stepping on our toes to instigate trouble. Not possible to address the gathering in this situation. I am leaving the stage. Please vote for me in your protest," she added.
Banerjee was then seen calling someone over and venting her grievances.
Before leaving the stage, she said, "I will hold a rally tomorrow at the same spot."
TMC supporters then rushed towards the BJP rally, which was later addressed by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, but security personnel intervened and prevented the situation from escalating.
TMC workers later staged a demonstration outside the local police station and filed a complaint, alleging that the BJP violated the model code of conduct.
A senior TMC leader said another complaint will also be lodged with the Election Commission.
Asked about Banerjee's allegations, Adhikari told reporters after the rally he held nearby, "Her reaction shows she is nervous about the imminent loss."
"There was no violence, no obstruction in her meeting and her behaviour shows her nervousness. On May 4, people of Bhabanipur will celebrate the victory of the BJP," he claimed, alleging that the TMC also tried to disrupt his meeting by playing loud music.
South Kolkata's Bhabanipur, one of the battleground seats in the West Bengal elections, will vote in the second phase on April 29.
