Ashok Choudhary hits back at Sonia Gandhi over remarks on Nitish Kumar; says he is ‘Vikas Purush’

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Patna, Oct 1 (IANS) Bihar Minister Ashok Choudhary has criticised Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over her reported remarks about Nitish Kumar, saying the former Bihar Chief Minister does not require anyone’s certificate or validation for his political record.

Choudhary said Nitish Kumar had established a distinct identity through his work and that people in Bihar recognise him as a ‘Vikas Purush’ (Man of Development)’.

He argued that Kumar has generally allowed his work to speak for itself rather than seeking personal recognition.

Choudhary’s remarks came amid a fresh political exchange between the JD(U) and Congress following reports that Sonia Gandhi had made critical comments about Kumar at a Congress Working Committee meeting.

JD(U) leaders, including Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh and working president Sanjay Jha, have also publicly responded to the reported remarks.

Choudhary also attacked the Congress, claiming that political parties that have allied with it have eventually suffered electoral setbacks.

He further claimed that the Congress itself was in a weakened position in Bihar but continued to target the JD(U)’s leadership.

These comments are part of the latest exchange between leaders of the two parties and come against the backdrop of renewed political differences over Nitish Kumar’s decision to leave the Opposition INDIA Bloc and return to the NDA in 2024.

Asked about JD(U) MLA Anant Singh’s support for Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh in the Patna Graduates’ constituency, Choudhary said the matter was for the party to address.

He described the issue as “old” and said it had already been discussed around 15 days earlier, suggesting that attention should now move beyond the matter.

Anant Singh, the JD(U) MLA from Mokama, has publicly backed Anuj Singh against the party’s official candidate, incumbent MLC Neeraj Kumar, in the Patna Graduates’ constituency.

Choudhary also commented on the rising water level of the Ganga River, saying the state government was maintaining close watch on the situation.

He said the administration remained alert and was continuously monitoring river levels and the flood situation.

The remarks come as several parts of Bihar continue to deal with elevated river levels and flooding following heavy rainfall and increased water discharge in major river systems.

–IANS

ajk/rad

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Engineering student dies by suicide in MP’s Jabalpur college hostel, probe underway

Jabalpur, Sep 16 (IANS) A fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student of Jabalpur Engineering College (JEC) allegedly died by suicide at a private hostel in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur.

The incident was reported on Wednesday, a day after Engineers’ Day was observed across Madhya Pradesh, particularly at engineering colleges and institutions.

The deceased was identified as Om Pandey, a seventh-semester student who was found hanging in his room at a private hostel near Gandhi Vyayamshala in the Ranjhi police station area.

According to the police, Pandey was alone in the room when the incident took place as his two roommates had gone out.

On returning, they found the room locked and discovered Pandey hanging from the ceiling after opening it.

They subsequently informed the police.

Ranjhi Police Station In-charge Umesh Golhani said the student had allegedly used his shirt to make a noose.

“Om was alone in the room when his roommates had gone out. When they returned, they found him hanging inside the room. No suicide note was found at the spot,” Golhani added.

Police said that preliminary inquiry and information from the family suggested that Pandey was a promising student. He had, however, developed backlogs in some subjects after falling ill some time ago.

The pending subjects had reportedly caused him stress.

The police are examining whether academic pressure contributed to the incident, but have not established the exact reason behind the death.

“We are recording the statements of his friends, family members and relatives to understand what circumstances led to the incident. The exact reason is yet to be ascertained,” the Jabalpur Station House Officer said.

The body was sent for post-mortem examination and further investigation is underway.

Police said they were also examining his recent academic and personal circumstances as part of the probe.

–IANS

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Tamil Nadu: EPS seeks Rs 30,000 per acre for rain-hit Delta farmers

Chennai, Aug 23 (IANS) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has urged the TVK-led government to immediately compensate farmers whose harvest-ready paddy crops were damaged by heavy rain and flooding in Tamil Nadu’s Delta districts.

In a statement, Palaniswami said reports indicated that paddy cultivated on nearly 2,000 acres had been destroyed following intense and unexpected rainfall in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and other Delta districts over the past two days. “Water is the lifeline of agriculture, and rain is its primary source. However, the sudden downpour has completely disrupted the lives of farmers cultivating paddy across nearly 2,000 acres,” he said.

The AIADMK leader said farmers were devastated after watching mature paddy crops, which were ready for harvesting, collapse and become submerged in rainwater. He maintained that it was the responsibility of the government to provide immediate relief and protect their livelihoods.

Taking a swipe at Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Palaniswami said the Chief Minister, who had spoken of his desire to be born as a farmer in his next life, should first take steps to protect farmers suffering in the present.

He pointed out that water had not been released from the Mettur dam on June 12 for Kuruvai cultivation. Consequently, many farmers had borrowed money and raised crops using groundwater. Their fields were ready for harvest when the unseasonal rain struck, leaving them facing severe financial distress.

Palaniswami also recalled the ruling alliance’s election promise to waive agricultural loans obtained by farmers from cooperative banks. He alleged that, after coming to power, the government had begun speaking of implementing the waiver gradually and in instalments, causing anger and disappointment among farmers.

The former Chief Minister demanded that the government immediately send teams comprising officials from the Revenue and Agriculture departments to the rain-affected areas of Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and other Delta districts. The teams should conduct a comprehensive assessment of the damage without delay and ensure that no affected cultivator was excluded from the relief measures, he said.

Palaniswami urged the government to provide compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre to every farmer whose crops had been damaged. Immediate financial assistance was essential as many cultivators had invested borrowed money and were expecting to repay their debts after the harvest, he added.

–IANS

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Chennai’s Poondi reservoir almost full as city builds robust water buffer for coming year

Chennai, Dec 8 (IANS) Chennai’s drinking water security for the next year has been significantly strengthened following timely intervention by the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department (WRD) and abundant northeast monsoon rainfall, which together helped key reservoirs, especially Poondi, reach near-full storage levels.

To prevent monsoon waters from going to waste, the WRD in late October requested Andhra Pradesh to temporarily halt the release of water from the Kandaleru reservoir into Poondi. This strategic decision allowed the reservoir to fill up naturally through heavy inflows from its own catchment and adjoining areas of Andhra Pradesh. Officials said the inflow from Kandaleru was paused after assessing that natural water availability would be adequate to replenish the storage.

With Poondi now nearing full capacity, the WRD has sought the resumption of the Kandaleru water supply only from April next year. “The abundant rainfall this season in Poondi’s catchment and neighbouring regions has played a major role in improving storage levels,” a senior WRD official said.

At present, Poondi reservoir holds 3,114 million cubic feet (mcft) of water, which is about 96 per cent of its total capacity of 3,231 mcft. Chennai’s monthly drinking water requirement is around 1,000 mcft. The combined storage across the city’s six reservoirs, including the Veeranam tank in Cuddalore district, stands at 11,749 mcft against a total capacity of 13,222 mcft, ensuring sufficient supply for at least the next 11 months.

With water availability at comfortable levels, Metrowater has increased the daily supply to consumers to 1,230 million litres a day (mld), up from 1,091 mld during the same period last year. Since Poondi does not have a water treatment facility, about 40 mld of water is released daily to the Red Hills reservoir, where it is treated before being distributed across the city.

Veeranam tank is currently holding 978 mcft, around 67 per cent of its full capacity of 1,465 mcft, further reinforcing supply stability.

Among the other reservoirs, Cholavaram stood at 579 mcft against its full capacity of 1,081 mcft. Red Hills reservoir, with a capacity of 3,300 mcft, is almost full at 3,251 mcft. Kannankottai Thervoikandigai is also in a comfortable position with 464 mcft of water stored against its 500 mcft capacity.

Officials expressed confidence that with these storage levels, Chennai’s drinking water needs will be comfortably met for at least the next year.

–IANS

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