Bengaluru MTech graduate wins PM Modi's praise for eco-friendly initiative
Bengaluru (PTI): An MTech graduate from Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka won the accolades of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting an enterprise of making products from banana stems, inspired by his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.
During Sunday's episode of his monthly programme, the prime minister said the initiative has motivated several people.
Inspired by an episode of this programme, Varsha from Chamarajanagar started the business of producing manure from the banana plant, the prime minister said.
"'Mann Ki Baat' inspired Varsha to stand on her feet. Inspired by an episode of this programme, she started making bio-fertiliser from bananas. This initiative of nature-loving Varsha has offered lots of employment opportunities to others," Modi said.
Hailing from Ummattur in Chamarajanagar, Varsha started her Akruthi Eco-Friendly Enterprises using the fibre of banana stems to manufacture a variety of products such as mats, mobile stands, pen stands, hats and fridge covers.
Varsha told reporters in Mysuru that she got inspired after listening to the prime minister in one of the episodes of 'Mann Ki Baat' during the Covid lockdown.
The prime minister had talked about a Tamil Nadu-based businessman who started a venture using banana fibres when several businesses were shutting down, she said.
"I am extremely happy that the prime minister is recognising my work. I'm now motivated to take the business to the next level," Varsha said.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
