Minister Khader challenges BJP leaders to write Union Ministry
Dispute on using Smart City funds for slaughterhouse
Mangaluru, October 08: “To support the sanitation driver in the city, I have given suggestions to develop slaughter houses under the Smart City Project. But the proposal is yet to get the approval from the Union Ministry of Urban Development. If they have real concerns, let the BJP elected representatives who have made it a dispute, write to the Union Ministry and stop it”, Housing and Urban Development Minister UT Khader challenged BJP leaders.
Clarifying on an allegation that Khader has given Rs 15 crore under Smart City Project for the development of the slaughter house, in a press conference here on Monday, the Minister said that when BJP was in power in the City Corporation in 2011, pro-BJP organization had taken the Kudroli slaughter house on contract for one year and said that there was no basic facility. In order to make India clean, first the cities should be cleaned, he added.
“The main objective of the Smart City Project was to maintain the cleanliness and beautification of the city. I have given my suggestion to develop the Kudroli slaughter house with an intention of ensuring healthy environment at the slaughterhouse. Being the District Minister, I have given that suggestion. The Advisory Board has City Corporation Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, District Incharge Secretary, Mayor, Opposition party leaders and Corporators. But there is no objection from them, because they are aware of the situation in the slaughterhouse. However, the BJP MP and MLAs have been creating issues. Let them write to the Centre. If the centre rejects our proposal, we don’t have any objections”, Khader clarified.
Smart City Project would be implemented through Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under the guidance of the Central government. In order to ensure cleanliness and beautification of the city, he had given suggestions to develop Wenlock Hospital, Mangala Stadium, Pumpwell Bus Stand, Football Stadium, 2nd and 3rd stage fishing area in the Port. There was a demand to develop the Kudroli slaughterhouse as the disposal of slaughterhouse waste had become a problem. It was planned to give a permanent solution for the problem, he said.
“I believe that some elected representatives have little experience. But I am surprised that they do not know anything. It is not fair on part of politicians to blow emotional issues out of proportions for political gains. They say funds were not given for the development of Gau Shala. But in the Smart City Project, there is no plan for developing Gau Shalas. I have developed a road leading to Pajeer Gau Shala. Let the BJP leaders write to the centre that the Gau Shala is dropped in the Smart City Project. Just speeches will not help the Smart City Project. Instead, they should work constructively”, Khader said.
No one has supported the illegal cow transportation. He was of the opinion that selling or buying of cows should not happen during nights. Police department should take action against any kind of illegal transportation. He would not interfere in this issue, he clarified.
Mayor Bhaskar K, Deputy Mayor Muhammad K, Chief Whip Shashidhar Hegde, Standing Committee presidents Naveen D’Souza and Radhakrishna, Corporators Mamatha Gatti, Sadashiva Ullal, Padmanabha Rai and others were present.
‘I’ve instructed not to remove Dasara flex, banners’
When the reporters asked that the district minister has asked the authorities not to remove flex and banners being put up in the name of Dasara festival despite a ban on plastic, Khader said that “I have informed the authorities. Dasara is the festival of the land. I have directed them not to remove the flex and banners put up for Dasara festival. They can remove the posters of politicians”, he said.
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
