IT companies also responsible for floods, BJP leader tells Mohandas Pai
Bengaluru: N R Ramesh, BJP Bangalore South district president, has snapped back at Mohandas Pai, senior information technology industrialist, saying in an open letter that the IT industry was equally answerable for the floods tormenting the state capital.
Ramesh wrote to Pai that IT/BT companies as well as Tech Parks in Bengaluru had contributed immensely to the mess that several parts of the city are currently in.
The open letter was written in the backdrop of Pai’s accusation that poor administration, an ineffective government, and high levels of corruption had resulted in the public works being of low quality and the rise of illegal construction in Bengaluru. All these factors, coupled with a lack of urban reforms, had made way for the floods due to the heavy downpour in the city, he had stated. Pai had launched the 'Save Bengaluru campaign' and tweeted about the failure of the Central and state governments and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Ramesh has told Mohandas Pai, “You have, however, preferred to maintain silence on the contribution of the IT/BT sector to the current situation… IT companies that are members of the Outer Ring Road Companies Association and the Electronics City Industries Association and Tech Parks in the ITPL area of Mahadevapura had encroached upon stormwater drains (rajakaluve) and the buffer zones while constructing their buildings. You seem to have forgotten this.”
The district president, further, said that the companies in Electronic City had merely received all sorts of benefits of the system, but failed to pay Rs 350 crore to Rs 400 crore as property tax to BBMP.
He also pointed out, “Earlier administrations and officers had supported the IT companies in the latters’ works and remained silent during encroachment, which also made way for the floods in the region.”
Ramesh accused the industrialist of trying to blemish the stature of a historic city like Bengaluru by focusing on only the current administration and saying the system has failed in its duties.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
