Mangaluru, Mar 25: Mangaluru central railway station has joined the group of other important railway stations in the country to sport the monumental national flag.

A 20 ft by 30 ft national flag has been hoisted on a 100 ft tall mast in front of the station with the aim of enhancing the aesthetics of the station and to promote patriotism.

The Railways Ministry launched the programme of hoisting monumental national flags at important railway stations across the country in 2018.

Railway stations in places of tourist importance are getting such flags.

The ministry has instructed that such flags should be placed in the premises of stations and its security should be the responsibility of the railway protection force.

Directions were also given to ensure proper lighting around the flag mast during the nights.

The flag is made of knitted polyester and printed in accordance with the national flag code using UV protected colours, railway sources said.

The monumental national flag is not required to be lowered at dusk.

Mangaluru central is the second station to have such a flag after Kozhikode in the Palakkad railway division of Southern Railway, the sources said.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Pune (PTI): Maharashtra Minister Prakash Abitkar on Friday said a senior official of the health department will conduct an inquiry into the incident in which a hospital in Pune allegedly refused to admit a pregnant woman due to the non-payment of an advance deposit of Rs 10 lakh.

The alleged incident took place at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, and the woman, Tanisha Bhise, wife of BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe's personal assistant, died after giving birth to twin girls at another hospital.

Talking to PTI, Abitkar said, "We have asked the deputy director of the health department to inquire into what exactly happened at the hospital. After we receive his report, we will take necessary action if the hospital is found to be in the wrong."

Workers of opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT) Congress and the NCP (SP), staged protests outside the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and even threw coins at one of the hospital staffers.

Police have been deployed in large numbers outside the facility to prevent untoward incidents.

MLC Gorkhe had on Thursday claimed that despite an assurance to pay Rs 3 lakh immediately, the hospital denied admission to the patient, and even a call from the Mantralaya did not yield any response from them.

The hospital, however, refuted the allegations and blamed the woman's kin for giving "misleading information".

The hospital's medical director, Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, had said they would prepare a detailed report about the incident and submit it to the health department.