Two BJP MPs detained by police
Kolkata: BJP MPs Soumitra Khan and Subhas Sarkar were detained by the police for some time when they went to visit a party member, who had allegedly faced atrocities by Trinamool Congress workers, at Thakurpukur in the city on Saturday.
Police said the two along with some activists had gone to the area and were taken to Thakurpukur police station on apprehension of breach of law and order in the locality.
Khan and Sarkar - who represent Bishnupur and Bankura Lok Sabha seats respectively - said they came to the area to visit the injured BJP activist who was recently attacked by Trinamool Congress "goons" for campaigning for the saffron party in the area.
The police had stopped them as they proceeded to the residence of the BJP worker and took them to Thakurpukur police station, the saffron party MPs said when they were being taken to a police vehicle along with several party activists.
Khan said, "We had come to be with our party workers.
But we were prevented by Kolkata Police which is working at the behest of TMC. There is no democracy in West Bengal under the rule of Mamata Banerjee".
BJP supporters demonstrated outside the police station for some time in protest against the police action.
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Karnataka tanks hold strong water storage: Minister Boseraju
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister N S Boseraju on Tuesday said that minor irrigation tanks across the state are holding good water storage levels, with the 3,788 tanks under the department’s jurisdiction providing life-sustaining water to a large agricultural command area of approximately 4,45,009 hectares.
In a statement, the Minister for Minor Irrigation, Boseraju, said that according to the latest data released by the department, a vast majority of the 3,788 minor irrigation tanks in the state have maintained good water levels.
Detailing the storage status, the report said that even in peak summer, 165 tanks are full.
Additionally, 1,355 tanks have retained more than 51 per cent capacity, 1,143 tanks have water levels up to 50 per cent, and 959 tanks are at roughly 30 per cent storage capacity.
District-wise, Davanagere leads the state in water storage, with 27 tanks remaining full even during summer. Chikkamagaluru follows closely with 46 full tanks, indicating strong water retention.
Other top-performing districts include Hassan, Tumakuru, and Kolar.
Boseraju, who also holds the portfolio of Science and Technology, said 1,184 tanks are being actively filled through 145 tank-filling lift irrigation projects under the Minor Irrigation Department.
He attributed the strong water retention to good monsoon rainfall and effective water management strategies of the government.
“It is encouraging to see such a substantial volume of water stored across our minor irrigation tanks by the end of March, remaining largely intact even as summer progresses. The fact that 1,355 tanks are nearly full and 165 tanks are brimming is a testament to the success of our tank-filling programmes and rejuvenation initiatives,” he said.
“By ensuring a continuous flow of water to these tanks through lift irrigation projects across departments, as well as supplying treated and surface water to the Bayaluseeme districts, we have taken proactive measures to prevent them from drying out during the summer,” the minister said.
According to him, these data points confirm that efforts to build a water-secure Karnataka are yielding strong results at the grassroots level.
“This water wealth preserved in our tanks will bring direct benefits to lakhs of farmers across the 4,45,009-hectare command area,” he added.
