BJP makes changes to PM's 2-day roadshow in Bengaluru due to NEET
Bengaluru (PTI): Keeping NEET examinations in mind, the Karnataka BJP made changes in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day roadshow in Bengaluru, ahead of the Assembly polls in the state, by scheduling an extensive event on May 6 and a shorter one on May 7, Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje said on Friday.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is scheduled on May 7 (Sunday).
"PM Narendra Modi's road show will be on May 6 and 7, preparations are on for it. We had shared information in that regard to the public through the press. However, you (media) people informed us about the NEET exams on May 7 at 2 pm, and the 26 km roadshow will cause inconvenience for (students writing) exams," Karandlaje said.
Speaking to reporters here, she said, this was brought it to the notice of the Prime Minister, and Modi who pays special attention to children with initiatives such as 'Pariksha pe Charcha', asked us to ensure that no inconvenience is caused to even a single student going to the exam centre at any cost.
So the PM directed the state BJP to make changes in the programme, she said, as desired by him, certain changes have been made in the programme.
"Earlier we had said on May 6 that there would be a 10km road show, and on May 7 it would be 26 km. Changing that we will be now holding long distance one of 26 km on May 6 from Someshwar Bhavan RBI Ground in Bengaluru South to Malleshwaram's Sankey Tank between 10 am to 1.30 pm, and shorter one of about 10 km one between Kempegowda statue at Thippasandra to Trinity circle, that can be completed soon, will be held on Sunday from 10 am to 11/11:30 am, she said.
Further noting that not many exam centres are located on the stretch where the roadshow will be held on Sunday, she said if there are any students coming from that region, on showing their hall tickets, police officials have been directed to ensure that they reach exam centres on time.
The roadshow, earlier scheduled to be held for eight hours on Saturday alone, was then split into two parts on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 1.30 pm to prevent inconvenience to the general public in case the rally is held for a full day.
Accusing the Congress of conspiring to disrupt the roadshow on Saturday, by getting the ambulances linked to their workers and well-wishers or hospitals run by them, at places along the stretch of 26 km which the PM is likely complete in about 3 hours, Karandlaje said, they have conspired to bring a bad name to the Prime Minister's roadshow.
"We have requested the police to ensure that ambulances with patients reach the hospitals on time without any hindrance, we have also discussed with SPG in this regard....we are following up things," she said.
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Los Angeles county wildfires could be costliest in US history, early estimates say
Los Angeles, Jan 11: The wildfires that erupted this week across Los Angeles County are still raging, but already are projected to be among the costliest natural disasters in US history.
The devastating blazes have killed at least 11 people and incinerated more than 12,000 structures since Tuesday, laying waste to entire neighbourhoods once home to multimillion-dollar properties.
While it's still too early for an accurate tally of the financial toll, the losses so far likely make the wildfires the costliest ever in the US, according to various estimates.
A preliminary estimate by AccuWeather put the damage and economic losses so far between USD 135 billion and USD 150 billion. By comparison, AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic losses caused by Hurricane Helene, which tore across six southeastern states last fall, at USD 225 billion to USD 250 billion.
“This will be the costliest wildfire in California modern history and also very likely the costliest wildfire in US modern history, because of the fires occurring in the densely populated areas around Los Angeles with some of the highest-valued real estate in the country,” said Jonathan Porter, the private firm's chief meteorologist.
AccuWeather factors in a multitude of variables in its estimates, including damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure and vehicles, as well as immediate and long-term health care costs, lost wages and supply chain interruptions.
The insurance broker Aon PLC also said Friday that the LA County wildfires will likely end up being the costliest in US history, although it did not issue an estimate. Aon ranks a wildfire known as the Camp Fire in Paradise, California, in 2018 as the costliest in US history up to now at USD 12.5 billion, adjusted for inflation. The Camp Fire killed 85 people and destroyed about 11,000 homes.
The LA County wildfires, which were fuelled by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds and an extreme drought, remained largely uncontained Saturday. That means the final tally of losses from the blazes is likely to increase, perhaps substantially.
“To put this into perspective, the total damage and economic loss from this wildfire disaster could reach nearly 4 per cent of the annual GDP of the state of California,” AccuWeather's Porter said.
In a report Friday, Moody's also concluded that the wildfires would prove to be the costliest in US history, specifically because they have ripped through densely populated areas with higher-end properties.
While the state is no stranger to major wildfires, they have generally been concentrated in inland areas that are not densely populated. That's led to less destruction per acre, and in damage to less expensive homes, Moody's noted.
That's far from the case this time, with one of the largest conflagrations destroying thousands of properties across the Pacific Palisades and Malibu, home to many Hollywood stars and executives with multimillion-dollar properties. Already, numerous celebrities have lost homes to the fires.
“The scale and intensity of the blazes, combined with their geographic footprint, suggest a staggering price tag, both in terms of the human cost and the economic toll,” Moody's analysts wrote. The report did not include a preliminary cost estimate of the wildfire damage.
It could be several months before a concrete tally of the financial losses from the wildfires will be possible.
“We're in the very early stages of this disaster,” Porter said.
