Helium cylinder blast near Mysuru Palace gate: Home Minister orders probe
Bengaluru: Home Minister G. Parameshwara said he has directed officials to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report into the helium cylinder blast that occurred near the Mysuru Palace gate on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters near the Home Office, Parameshwara said a balloon vendor, reportedly from Lucknow, lost his life in the incident. He pointed out that there appears to be a lack of regulation over people selling small items in public places, especially in areas frequented by tourists.
ALSO READ: Drunk Creta driver drags Royal Enfield bike for 500 metres after crash in Bengaluru
“As a large number of tourists visit Mysuru Palace, stricter measures are required. The matter needs to be examined with seriousness,” he said, adding that he has instructed officials to discuss the issue with the Tourism Department and take necessary steps.
The Home Minister said the investigation will look into how the balloon vendor obtained the helium cylinder and where it was purchased from. Officials have been asked to verify all these aspects and submit a detailed report.
Parameshwara also clarified that he is not a member of the CWC and therefore will not be travelling to Delhi to attend its meeting. “If Karnataka-related developments are discussed in the meeting, we will come to know about it,” he said.
He further informed that a meeting with senior police officers has been convened on Sunday to discuss security arrangements for New Year celebrations, after which appropriate instructions will be issued.
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.
Rupee hits all-time low for second time in a week
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 31 paise to settle at 91.99 against the US dollar on Wednesday, touching the lowest closing level for the second time in less than a week, amid increased month-end demand for the greenback.
Forex traders said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe offered quiet reassurance. However, increased month-end demand for the American currency as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions dented investors' sentiments.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 91.60 and touched an early high of 91.50, but pared all the gains to touch an intra-day low of 91.99 against the greenback.
The domestic unit settled 31 paise down, revisiting its lowest-ever closing level of 91.99 against the greenback. The Indian currency previously ended at this level on January 23 when it also hit its all-time intraday low of 92 against the US dollar.
On Tuesday, the rupee rebounded from its all-time low levels and gained 22 paise to close at 91.68 against the US dollar.
Analysts said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe bolstered investor sentiment.
India and the European Union on Tuesday announced the conclusion of negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA), under which a number of domestic sectors such as apparel, chemicals and footwear will get duty-free entry into the 27-nation bloc, while the EU will get access to the Indian market at concessional duty for cars and wines, an official said.
The deal has been dubbed the "mother of all deals" as it will create a market of about 2 billion people.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.07 per cent lower at 96.14.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.43 per cent lower at USD 67.28 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 487.20 points to settle at 82,344.68, while Nifty surged 167.35 points to 25,342.75.
Foreign Institutional Investors turned net buyers and purchased equities worth Rs 480.26 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
