Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accuses Karnataka govt of spreading lies regarding HMT, KIOCL
Bengaluru, Oct 17: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused the Karnataka government of spreading lies regarding Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) and Kudremukh Iron and Steel Company Limited (KIOCL).
He said he is ready for discussions with the state government, along with documents, on the two public sector undertakings but did not elaborate.
“The Congress government is spreading falsehoods regarding HMT and KIOCL. I am ready to discuss with the state government. If I am wrong, I will take responsibility," the Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.
The Minister said the state government should not politicise the KIOCL issue. If there are problems, it should resolve them.
“I am working to preserve public sector enterprises in the state. I will write to Chief Minister Siddaramaih and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre to convene a meeting where I will present my documents. If KIOCL is at fault, as the minister, I will take responsibility. Beyond that, it is inappropriate to politicise state interests,” he underlined.
Kumaraswamy flayed the Forest Minister for "constantly issuing misleading statements" to the media about both HMT and KIOCL, urging him to "first read the documents and understand the facts before speaking."
He also alleged that the "obstinacy" of the state government has rendered about 300 to 400 KIOCL workers jobless.
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.
8 coaches of Agartala-Lokmanya Terminus Express derail in Assam's Dima Hasao
Guwahati, Oct 17: Eight coaches of the Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express derailed at Dibalong station in Assam's Dima Hasao district on Thursday afternoon, Northeast Frontier Railway officials said.
There were no reports of any fatality or major injuries, they said.
“No major casualty or injury and all passengers are safe. We are coordinating with railway authorities and a relief train will shortly reach the site,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X.
The derailed coaches include the power car and the engine of the train.
An accident relief medical train has already left for the site from Lumding along with senior officers to supervise the rescue and restoration work, the officials said.
The cause of the derailment, which occurred at 3.55 pm, was ''being investigated and it will take some time to be ascertained'', an NF Railway spokesperson told PTI.
The passengers of the train will be shifted to a separate rake and transported to the next station, he said.
Restoration work was likely to take time due to the hilly and difficult terrain of the section, the spokesperson said.
Running of trains on the Lumding-Badarpur single-line hill section has been suspended, the officials said.
The railway authorities have also opened helpline numbers at Lumding.
Following the derailment, the NF Railway cancelled the Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri special train and Rangiya-Silchar-Rangiya Express on Thursday along with both the corresponding trains on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Agartala-Firozpur Cantt Express has been short-terminated at Badarpur, the Sabroom-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express at Maibong and the Dullabcherra-Guwahati Express at New Haflong.
The Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Special and Agartala-Guwahati Summer Special will also remain cancelled on Thursday, while the New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati Special, Guwahati-Agartala Summer Special, Kamakhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Special and Silchar-Guwahati Silchar Express have been cancelled on Friday, an NF Railway bulletin said.
Among other changes, the Silchar-Thiruvananthapuram Express, scheduled to leave on Thursday, has been rescheduled to leave at 6 am hours on Friday, while the SMVT Bengaluru-Agartala Humsafar Express, which began its journey on October 15, will be regulated suitably, it said.
8 coaches of Train 12520 Agartala –LTT Express derailed at Dibalong station near Lumding at 15:55 Hrs today. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 17, 2024
We are coordinating railway authorities…
