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Rohtak, Sep 7 (IANS) Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda on Sunday visited flood-affected areas for the second consecutive day and listened to problems of the people, and instructed administrative officials to provide relief to people on priority.

Talking to journalists here, he said the flood and water-logging situation in the state remained serious due to the state government’s failure.

“People need immediate help and compensation but instead of getting a special girdawari of the damage done, the government has once again handed over the people to the portal,” he said.

“For the past several years, instead of giving compensation, the government is playing the game of portals. Due to this system, 90 per cent of the people suffering from any disaster do not get compensation. Even the compensation that a few farmers get, takes several months. That is why the Congress has been demanding that financial help should be directly provided to the farmers,” he said.

Hooda, who drove a tractor along with farmers to visit the flood-affected areas of Meham and Kalanaur constituency, said the entire standing crop in fields has been destroyed.

“Looking at the waterlogging, there is no hope of the upcoming crop. Therefore, farmers should get compensation of at least Rs 60-70,000 per acre,” he said.

“Along with this, the government should also give compensation for the damage to houses, shops and other buildings. The Central government should also announce a relief package for flood-affected Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh,” he demanded.

Hooda said when a similar flood occurred in 1995, he himself brought the then Agriculture Minister Balram Jakhar to Haryana. “At that time, the Congress government had given compensation to the farmers for every loss including the farm sheds, tubewells, all the houses and shops along with the crops. But the current government registers the case of stubble burning by looking at the satellite image and when it comes to giving compensation, the farmers are handed over to the portal,” two-time Chief Minister and Congress legislator added.

–IANS

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Patna, November 11 (IANS) Voting for the second phase of the Bihar Assembly election begins at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and will continue till 6 p.m.

In Naxal-affected areas, the polling time will end at 5 pm.

A total of 1,302 candidates are in the fray — 1,165 men, 136 women, and one third-gender candidate.

The main contest is between NDA vs Mahagathbandhan, though AIMIM and Jan Suraj are posing challenges in some pockets.

In this phase, polling is being held in 122 constituencies — 101 general, 19 SC reserved, and 2 ST reserved seats.

According to the Election Commission, 3,70,13,556 electors are eligible to vote in this round.

This includes 10,21,812 new voters added to the rolls.

Among them 1, 95,56,899 electors are enrolled in the voter list are male, including 5,28,954 new male electors included in the roll after SIR.

Similarly, a total of 1,70,68,572 female voters are in the list, including 4,92,839 newly added in the list.

The third gender voters are 943, including 90 newly added in the list.

A total of 7,69,356 electors are in the 18–19 age group — these will be first-time voters in an Assembly election.

For phase-2, the ECI has set up 45,399 polling stations — 5,326 urban and 40,073 rural.

These include 595 women-managed booths, 91 PwD-managed booths, and 316 model stations.

Webcasting has been arranged at all polling stations.

The average electors per booth are 815.

Phase-2 polling covers 20 districts — including West Champaran, East Champaran, Supaul, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, Katihar, Banka, Bhagalpur, Nawada, Jamui, Aurangabad, Gaya, Rohtas, Kaimur, Jehanabad and Arwal.

Bihar police have made all security arrangements for the polling.

Special security measures have been put in place in seven districts, including West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Madhubani, Araria, and Kishanganj along the Indo–Nepal border, while surveillance has also been intensified along the borders with Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

The international borders have been completely sealed, while inter-state borders have also closed since Sunday evening to prevent infiltration and movement of external elements.

As per the directives of the Election Commission of India (ECI), a total of 1,650 companies of central security forces have been deployed across the state to ensure peaceful and fair polling.

The security agencies are using drones and CCTV cameras for surveillance, and Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have also been deployed for immediate action in emergency situations.

–IANS

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Imphal, June 20 (IANS) Normal life was badly affected in Manipur’s Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts on Friday as Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a leading organisation of the Kuki-Zo community, enforced an indefinite shutdown in the two tribal inhabited districts in protest against the killing of an elderly Kuki woman on Thursday.

Officials said that shops, markets, business establishments remained closed, while movements of private vehicles were disrupted due to the shutdown in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.

Attendance in government offices and banks was very thin while educational institutions remained closed for the day in both the districts, the official said.

ITLF activists, including women, blocked several roads in the two districts.

On Thursday, an elderly Kuki community woman was killed and a farmer, who belonged to Meitei community, shot at in separate incidents in Manipur’s Churachandpur and Bishnupur district respectively.

The official said that one Ningthoujam Biren Singh, a cultivator from Phubala Awang Maning Leikai, was shot in his left arm by an unknown armed miscreant while working in his paddy field at Phubala Maning in Bishnupur district.

Singh is now under medical treatment at the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) medical college and hospital in Imphal.

In response, security forces launched a search operation in and around Langchingmanbi, Heichanglok, and the western areas of Phubala village.

During the course of the operation, security forces came under fire from unknown armed attackers and the forces retaliated accordingly.

During the crossfire, one woman identified as Hoikholhing Haokip (55) from Langchingmanbi village was found dead with a bullet injury.

The victim was the wife of the village chief of Langchingmanbi.

The ITLF in a letter to Governor Ajay Kumal Bhalla on Friday demanded a judicial inquiry “to ensure transparency and accountability in the investigation of the killing of the woman”.

The tribal body in their letter to the Governor said that this “grave incident has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Kuki-Zo community, resulting in the imposition of an indefinite shutdown in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts”.

The security personnel responsible for the killing of Hoikholhing Haokip must be identified, booked, and punished in accordance with the law, the tribal body said.

“Kuki-Zo people seek only peace, justice, and the protection of life and dignity. We trust that your esteemed office will act with urgency and impartiality to address this matter and restore the faith of our people in the democratic and legal institutions of our state,” the ITLF said.

–IANS

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