Woman missing; Suspected to be swept away in river
Byndoor, June 26: A woman who had been to a shop on Sunday is missing and it is suspected that she might have swept away in the river beside her house. But even after three days, her body is not yet traced despite the search operation.
The missing woman is identified as Parvati (35) of Uddabettu Dasodi in Teggarse village in the taluk. She had gone to the shop on Sunday to bring some ration. When she did not turn up even after 10 am, her family members started searching her. While searching, her umbrella was found in a bush below 100 mts from a foot-bridge constructed across Sumanavati river near her house. Since the taluk has been receiving heavy rains for the last couple of days, it is suspected that she might have fallen accidentally from the footbridge and swept away in the flood.
Byndoor police who registered a case said that locals and fire brigade have been searching for the body since Sunday. But it was not found. As the rivers are flowing in full force, the body might have washed away into the sea. Her husband Buddivanta is working as a mason.
Rain-related losses
Due to heavy rains that has been lashing the district for the last few days, some houses were damaged, traffic movement was disrupted due to clogging of water in the incomplete highway work sites.
Artificial flooding was created at Basrur Murukai, Koteshwara underpass and other places in Kundapura taluk, causing inconvenience to vehicular movement. A wall of the house belonging to Narayana Achari in Nujadi village collapsed due to heavy rains and the loss was estimated at Rs 25,000. As a coconut tree fell on the house of Radhu Poojarthi of Udyavara village, the house was damaged causing a loss of Rs 50,000. The compound of the house belonging to Raghava of 80 Badagabettu village was collapsed due to heavy rains on Monday night incurring a loss of Rs 30,000. In the same way, Girija of Beejadi village in Kundapur taluk incurred a loss of Rs 75,000 due to gusty wind and heavy rains, Susheela has incurred a loss of Rs 35,000 and Babu Kharvi of Hosadu village incurred a loss of Rs 35,000 as their houses were damaged.
In Udupi taluk, Nemu Poojarthi of Kadekar village incurred a loss of Rs 60,000, Shivaram Poojary Rs 20,000, Narayana Poojary Rs 22,000, Sunil KN Rs 20,000, Kuthpadi Achyuta Anchan Rs 15,000, Neeladhara Suvarna Rs 20,000, Vittal Kotian Rs 6000, Sadashiva Bhandary Rs 10,000, Sadhu Karkera Rs 15000, Koraga Salian Rs 15,000 losses were estimated.
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Prez nod for FIR against AAP's Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain in Rs 2,000-cr classroom 'scam'
New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval for the registration of an FIR against AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in an alleged scam of Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools, sources said.
In 2022, the Delhi government's vigilance directorate recommended a probe into the alleged scam and submitted a report to the chief secretary.
The President has given her approval for registering the FIR against Sisodia and Jain in connection with the alleged scam during their tenures as ministers in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, the sources said.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), in a report dated February 17, 2020, highlighted "glaring irregularities" in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The President's approval came under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act that pertains to "enquiry or inquiry or investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by public servant in discharge of official functions or duties".
Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of carrying out a witch-hunt against its political rivals.
The BJP has no interest or intention to fulfil the promises it made to the people of Delhi. Its only agenda is to carry out a witch-hunt against its political rivals to stifle the voice of people, the former minister said in a statement.
The BJP-led central government has already decided to prosecute every political adversary of the party and grant approvals to move the case forward but it should wait for the judicial process to begin, he said.
In July 2019, BJP leader Harish Khurana and then AAP rebel MLA Kapil Mishra, now a minister in the Delhi government, lodged a police complaint about the alleged scam.
According to a report prepared by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government, the complainants alleged that there was a scam worth over Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms and school buildings in Delhi. The work was done at a highly inflated cost by the Delhi government.
The alleged scam involves the construction of around 12,748 classrooms.
The ACB report said the total expenditure incurred for constructing the classrooms and school buildings was around Rs 2,892.65 crore. They were allegedly constructed at the rate of Rs 8,800 per square feet, whereas it was common knowledge that the average construction cost (even for a builder of flats) was around Rs 1,500 per square feet.
The total cost for constructing a classroom and school building, according to the tender awarded, was allegedly around Rs 24.86 lakh per room, whereas such rooms are easily constructed in Delhi at around Rs 5 lakh per room, it said.
The prices were increased almost five times to defraud the taxpayer by siphoning off money from the public exchequer in the garb of construction cost, the report said.
Even for a 5-star hotel, top ultra-luxury quality construction is around Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500 per square feet, it said.
The complainants submitted a copy of documents in which information received under the RTI Act in respect of the construction of 18 classrooms in the Govt Girls Senior Secondary School, Nathupura, Burari (school ID:-1207111) revealed that they were constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, the ACB report said.
