Siddaramaiah dares BJP to come clean on bid to topple Cong-JDS govt
Bengaluru, Jan 2 : Former Karnataka chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah Wednesday challenged the BJP to come clean on its alleged attempts to bribe his party MLAs to destabilise the coalition government in the state.
The Congress leaders are locked in a war of attrition with the BJP ever since the ministry was recently expanded and reshuffled, amid reports that the saffron party was in touch with disgruntled MLAs who missed ministerial berths.
"I am not indulging in a blame game with the BJP in connection with attempts to bribe the MLAs. There is a basis behind the statement. Is it not true that they (BJP) made an offer to B C Patil? When the time is ripe, I will disclose a few more things," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet.
Two days ago, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party had alleged that the BJP had made a fresh attempt to topple the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government by offering Rs 25 to 30 crore to the legislators.
Rubbishing the charge, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president B S Yeddyurappa had asked Siddaramaiah to speak responsibly and provide evidence to back his charge.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara too had on Tuesday accused the BJP of making a fresh bid to topple the government, claiming that efforts were underway to arrange a meeting of his party's disgruntled MLAs with BJP president Amit Shah.
Parameshwara's charge had come amid reports that aggrieved Congress MLA, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who was dropped from the ministry in the recent reshuffle, was camping in Delhi.
Jarkiholi, who claims to have the support of a significant number of Congress MLAs, has remained incommunicado since he was removed from the ministry.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
