Siddaramaiah dares Karnataka BJP leaders to question Centre over hike in railway fares
Davangere: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday criticised the Central government for increasing railway passenger fares, saying the hike has added to the financial burden on the common people, while BJP leaders in the state have failed to question the move.
Speaking to the media in Davangere, Siddaramaiah said the Centre had raised train travel fares, but leaders of the BJP in Karnataka were silent on an issue that directly affects ordinary citizens.
ALSO READ: Chitradurga bus accident: Driver succumbs to injuries in Hubballi hospital
Responding to questions about the bus and truck collision near Hiriyur in Chitradurga district, the Chief Minister said preliminary information from the police indicated that the truck driver was at fault. According to initial findings, the truck, which was coming from the opposite direction, crossed the divider and rammed into the bus.
He said the accident had claimed the lives of four women, a child, and the truck driver. Emphasising the need for strict adherence to safety norms, Siddaramaiah said all buses must follow safety measures without exception. He added that a detailed investigation into the accident would be conducted.
The Chief Minister also said he would be leaving for New Delhi later in the day to attend the Congress party’s executive committee meeting.
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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.
