Non-Resident Kannadigas seek government support, separate ministry for their welfare
The delegation was invited by Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader to Vidhan Soudha
Bengaluru: A delegation of non-resident Kannadigas from over 15 countries has appealed to the state government for financial aid and the establishment of a dedicated ministry to address their concerns. The delegation, invited by Legislative Assembly Speaker UT Khader, met with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha to submit their requests.
Led by Dr. Aarti Krishna, Vice Chairman of the State Government NRI Cell, the delegation included members from the USA, Canada, Australia, UAE, Qatar, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain. They urged the government to allocate Rs 100 crore for the welfare of non-resident Kannadigas and proposed the creation of a separate ministry to address their unique challenges.
The NRI Cell had been inactive for the past five years, leaving non-resident Kannadiga workers without support. Dr. Aarti Krishna emphasized the need to revitalize the cell for the career development of Kannadigas working abroad.
The delegation highlighted various problems faced by non-resident Kannadigas and requested immediate financial assistance of Rs 100 crore. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded positively to their request and agreed to establish a separate ministry for NRIs in the state, following the Kerala model.
Among the specific demands were the establishment of a center for the study of Kannada, culture, heritage, and a research center for Indian students in Bahrain, along with skill development facilities to create job opportunities for Karnataka youth in Gulf countries.
Amarnath Rai, President of Bahrain Kannada Sangh, stressed the difficulties faced by laborers trying to transport the remains of deceased family members back to Karnataka. He called for the formation of a high-level committee to address the concerns of non-residents.
The delegation included representatives from various countries, such as Muhammad Mansoor from Bahrain, Ramanand Prabhu from Muscat, Advocate Ibrahim Khalil from UAE, Hidayat Addur from Dubai, and others.
In response, the government promised to establish a separate ministry for NRIs and address the challenges faced by non-resident Kannadigas during the lockdown.
“Non-resident Kannadigas students and workers faced hardship in many ways during the lockdown. But in the coming days any non-resident Kannadigas should be able to lead a comfortable life in the Gulf countries. MLAs of all parties have joined hands in this regard,” Lakshmi Bidar Non-Resident Kannadathi from Qatar said.
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After fake ID crackdown, IRCTC daily new accounts down to 5000 from one lakh: Railways
New Delhi (PTI): With a new, stringent system to establish user identity, the number of new user IDs being added daily on the IRCTC website has declined to about 5,000 from nearly one lakh, officials said on Saturday.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that the crackdown by Indian Railways on train ticket booking through fake identities is yielding positive results, according to a press note.
Before the latest reforms, this number had touched nearly one lakh new user IDs per day, it said.
"Following the introduction of a stringent system to establish user identity and detect fake IDs, about 5,000 new user IDs are now being added daily on the IRCTC website," the note said.
The officials stated that these steps have already helped Indian Railways deactivate 3.03 crore fake accounts.
"Another 2.7 crore user IDs have either been temporarily suspended or identified for suspension based on the suspicious activities they are indulging in," they said.
The Union minister directed officials to ensure that the ticketing system is reformed to a level where all travellers are able to book tickets easily through a real and genuine user ID, the press note added.
Additionally, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials to provide local cuisine of the region in Vande Bharat trains.
Introducing local cuisine that reflects the culture and tastes of the regions being traversed will significantly enhance the passenger experience, officials said.
This facility will be expanded to all the trains progressively in future, they added.
