Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal's brother held in Bosnia
Sarajevo: Indian industrialist Pramod Mittal, the younger brother of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, was arrested Wednesday in Bosnia for suspected fraud and "abuse of power", a prosecutor said.
The case is related to the running of a coking plant in the northeastern town of Lukavac, which Pramod Mittal has co-managed since 2003. It has a 1,000 employees.
"Police, who acted upon the order of the prosecutor, arrested the president of the supervisory board of GIKIL, Pramod Mittal," prosecutor Cazim Serhatlic told reporters.
GIKIL was founded in 2003 and is co-managed by Pramod Mittal's Global Steel Holdings and a local public company (KHK). The coking plant in Lukavac employs a thousand people.
Two other company officials -- general manager Paramesh Bhattacharyya and another member of the supervisory board -- were also arrested.
They are suspected of "organised crime, notably the abuse of power and economic crimes," the prosecutor said. Serhatlic said that if found guilty the suspects could get jail sentences of up to 45 years.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a fourth man "considered to be a member of this organised criminal group with Pramod Mittal on top".
The suspects will appear before a judge on Wednesday.
According to the Zurnal.info website which covers organised crime, the suspects were believed to have embezzled "at least five million marks" (2.5 million euros, USD 2.8 million).
Lakshmi Mital, the CEO of global steel giant ArcelorMittal, has bailed out his cash-strapped brother Pramod in India. Pramod Mittal owns several companies in the Balkans.
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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.
