UP flood death toll hits 325 as rainfall intensifies; major rivers in spate

Big rivers are in spate and more than a dozen districts flooded following heavy rainfall in Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining hilly regions over the past few days even as the death toll in the current monsoon season has increased to 325.

More than 21 people have reportedly died over the last 48 hrs in flood-related incidents, including drowning and wall collapse, across the state, including Shahjahanpur, Amethi and Auraiya districts.

Monsoon activity, which had started to slow down, however, regained momentum over the past week, inundating large parts of the agricultural and inhabited land. The government had already deployed columns of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in the flood relief and rescue operations in the worst-affected areas.

Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers were pressed into service to rescue people stranded in marooned pockets of Lalitpur and Jhansi districts, which are arid zones but have received a good amount of rainfall this year.

23 mn homes in villages still without power, 17% don't have drinking water

Up to 23 million households (in over 292,000 villages) without electricity; 7% (43,000) villages without mobile services; 17% rural habitations without clean drinking water; 25% of 14- to 18-year-olds (nearly 88 million) in rural areas cannot read basic text in own language.

These data reflect those left out of India’s growth story in the country’s rural areas, home to 833 million or 69% of the population, according to various data sets analysed by IndiaSpend.
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As India’s economy grew seven-fold over 25 years to Rs 121.9 lakh crore ($1.8 trillion) in 2016-17, moving to the world’s fifth largest over this period, per capita income increased more than four times–from Rs 15,766 to Rs 82,269–during the same period.

Of 640,932 villages in India (597,608 inhabited and 43,324 uninhabited), all inhabited villages have been electrified–according to the government, although this is unverified–but over 23 million households in rural areas are without electricity.

Of more than 219 million rural households, 195 million, or 89%, have been electrified, official data show.

Rahul Gandhi stresses the need for a united opposition for 2019 elections

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said there were "valuable lessons" to be learnt from the results of the bypolls across the country, in a reference to the need for a united opposition for the 2019 general elections.

"Congratulations to all the winners in the by polls, across India. Valuable lessons to be learnt from the victories and defeats for all parties," tweeted Gandhi.

"I want to thank all the workers and leaders of the Congress party for their hard work and dedication in these elections. God bless you all," he added.

A united opposition got a major boost on Thursday when it delivered a huge blow to the BJP, defeating it in the Kairana Lok Sabha by-election in Uttar Pradesh and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra while the saffron party managed to retain the Palghar parliamentary seat and win only one out of the 10 Assembly bypolls in 10 states.

UP bypolls: Voter turnout at 20%, BJP confident of win; top 10 developments

Voter turnout for key Lok Sabha constituencies of Gorakhpur and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh picked up, hitting around 20% as of 12 noon. as reported by news agency PTI. The bypolls were necessitated after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated their seats to assume their respective offices in the state government.

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya is reported to have said that the UP bypolls' mandate for BJP will be as big as the Lok Sabha mandate in 2014 General elections.
ALSO READ: UP by-polls: Has SP-BSP alliance for Gorakhpur, Phulpur seats rattled BJP?
Bypolls for Bihar's Lok Sabha Araria seat and two assembly seats -Jehanabad and Bhabua- are also being held on Sunday.

The bye-elections in Bihar are being seen as a litmus test for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after he exited the Grand Alliance between the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and his party, Janata Dal (United).

UP by-polls: Has SP-BSP alliance for Gorakhpur, Phulpur seats rattled BJP?

On March 5, Upendra Datt Shukla, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Gorakhpur by-poll being held today, addressed an election rally at Raptinagar. Sharing the dais with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Shukla, in his speech, said that this election symbolises a battle of honour for not just Gorakhpur but also Yogi Adityanath, whom he called the pride of the entire Hindu community.

Pointing out that Gorakhpur’s stature has recently been elevated in Indian politics, Shukla claimed that there are efforts to challenge the forces that contributed to BJP’s victories in Tripura and Gujarat. He also spoke of BJP’s promising role in the upcoming Karnataka polls next month. He urged voters to visit colonies inhabited by Dalits and OBCs and help the lotus bloom in every house.

Clearly, the prospect of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) coming together in the by-polls of Gorakhpur and Phulpur has rattled the ruling BJP. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who had first equated the SP-BSP alliance as a snake and mole coming together, described the alliance as a coalition of thieves at a rally at PP Ganj.

Old age home inmates denied pension as wrinkles don't allow Aadhaar sign-up

Inmates of an old age home in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly complained that they are unable to avail certain facilities and collect pension as they do not have an Aadhaar card.

Speaking to ANI, a victim said the machine cannot trace their thumb impression because of wrinkles on their fingers.

"It would be good if I received help in some way. I do not have an Aadhaar card so, I am being deprived of facilities. I do not have documents and the machine cannot trace my fingerprints.

I have no resources. This is the only place I can be. I am not receiving any pension," Veervati, the victim, said.

Senior citizens aged between 60 to 79 years who are below poverty line are entitled to a monthly pension of Rs 400, while those above 80 years get Rs 500 per month.

Adityanath govt bans loudspeakers at religious, public places in UP

Armed with a high court order, the Yogi Adityanath government on Sunday banned the use of loudspeakers at temples, mosques and other public places without permission and set January 15 as the deadline to remove the amplifiers.

After receiving flak from the Allahabad High Court over noise pollution in Uttar Pradesh, the state government also issued detailed directives on the use of permanently installed loudspeakers at these places.

The high court had last month asked the state government whether the loudspeakers or public address systems at mosques, temples, churches, and gurdwaras, among other places, were installed after obtaining a written permission from the authorities concerned.

Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said, "On the directions of the court regarding ensuring implementation of noise pollution control rules, a government order giving detailed instructions has been issued."

This practically implies that sound should not go beyond the periphery of the public or private place, Kumar said.

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End jungle raj', Siddaramaiah slams Yogi after UP CM's 'beef eater' barb

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday lashed out at his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath's earlier address in Bengaluru, and opined that the latter could "learn a lot" from him.

During Adityanath's ongoing visit to the state, Siddaramaiah tweeted, "I welcome UP CM Yogi Adityanath to our state. There is a lot you can learn from us Sir. When you are here, please visit an Indira Canteen and a ration shop. It will help you address the starvation deaths sometimes reported from your state".

Earlier in the day, Adityanath, while addressing a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in the garden city, accused Siddaramaiah of intermixing religion and politics, thus following the footsteps of Congress President Rahul Gandhi ahead of the assembly polls in Gujarat.

He further questioned Siddaramaiah on why he was "endorsing beef eaters" if he was a Hindu.

In an earlier tweet, Siddaramaiah lashed out at the UP Chief Minister, suggesting that he should primarily focus on ending 'Jungle Raj' in his state, and retrospect upon the increasing number of deaths of children in hospitals.

"Yogi Adityanath should first get rid of Jungle Raj in Uttar Pradesh and save children who are dying in the hospital. Let us understand then", he tweeted in Kannada.

On a related note, Adityanath is scheduled to take part in the BJP-led 'Parivartan Yatra' in the run-up to the Karnataka Assembly polls.
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Law, not faith, runs country: Oppn on Mohan Bhagwat's 'Ram Mandir' remarks

The opposition parties criticised Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat statement over his remarks on Ram Temple, saying that the chief is not above the Supreme Court and that the country is run by the Constitution and not faith.

"Mr Bhagwat is not above the Supreme Court and the country is run by the constitution and not by faith," Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik told ANI.

Criticising the RSS chief and BJP Malik said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is losing his grip in the country, while the BJP is losing the faith of the public.

"BJP Is losing public faith and that is why the Ram Mandir issue has been raised by BJP and Sangh parivar," he added.

He further stated that the matter is before the Supreme Court and the verdict of the highest court should be binding on everybody.

Echoing the same thoughts, Congress leader Virendra Kumar Madan said that the web of lies created by the BJP and RSS has been broken.

"The people of Uttar Pradesh and the whole nation have understood their false promises. Both RSS and BJP think that their land is slipping from their hands and hence are giving such controversial statements," he added.
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3 dead, 9 injured after Vasco Da Gama-Patna express derails in UP

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At least three people were dead and nine left injured after thirteen coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna express jumped the rails near Manikpur railway station in Uttar Pradesh today.

Confirming the casualties, Chitrakoot SP Pratap Gopendra Singh said a father-son duo from Bettiah district of Bihar died on the spot while the third person died at a hospital.

"Of those injured, two were serious and admitted to district hospital, Chitrakoot. Seven with minor injuries are being treated at Manikpur," Singh said.

The Patna-bound Vasco Da Gama Express (12741) derailed at 4:18 am, soon after leaving platform number 2 of the Manikpur railway station in Chitrakoot district, about 250 km from Lucknow, he said.

According to ADG (Law and Order), Anand Kumar, prima facie it appears that fractured railway track is the cause of accident as per local assessment.

Providing a breakup of the derailed coaches, North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya said, the coaches which jumped off the rails were coaches numbered S3-S11, two general coaches and two extra coaches.

"The injured have been rushed to the hospital and officials have left for the spot. Relief operations are underway," North Central Railway PRO Amit Malviya said.

He further said that soon after the accident, a medical train reached the spot and by 5:20 am, an accident relief train was dispatched for the spot.

The divisional railway manager (DRM), Allahabad has already reached the spot while the General Manager, NCR is on his way, he said.

In the aftermath of the derailment, movement of trains was disrupted on the Patna-Allahabad route.

The train derailment in Chitrakoot comes less than 12 hours after a bolero had collided with a passenger train near Lucknow killing four and injuring two.
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Top developments: Swiss couple attacked in Fatehpur Sikri; 5 held

One of the two Swiss tourists attacked and badly injured near Agra five days ago was discharged from Delhi's Apollo Hospital on Thursday even as five people, including three minors, were taken into custody for the crime. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who visited Agra, promised better security for tourists.

Sushma seeks report

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said while Marie Droz had been discharged from the hospital, her male friend Quentin Jeremy Clerc's condition was improving. The Swiss embassy in New Delhi confirmed the October 22 attack and said it was providing them consular services.

The ugly attack took place when the young couple was walking alongside a train track in Fatehpur Sikri near Agra. Clerc was left with a fractured skull and several bruises.

Senior Superintendent of Police Agra, Amit Pathak, said late on Thursday evening that five persons, including three minors, have been taken into custody for the crime.

Sushma Swaraj sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the assault. Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons expressed deep concern.

"You would kindly appreciate that such incidents negatively impact our image and are detrimental to our efforts in promoting India as a tourism destination," Alphons told the Chief Minister in a letter.
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Gorakhpur tragedy: 30 children die in medical college, Yogi govt says 7

At least 30 children died in the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, the parliamentary constituency of Uttar Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in the last two days, an official said Friday. The government however said that only seven had died.

Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Rautela told local TV channels confirming the "death of 30 kids in the last two days" and seven deaths in the last 24 hours.

He said that 17 children had died in the neo-natal ward, five in the ward meant of patients suffering from acute encephalitis syndrome and eight in the general ward.

Denying that the children had died due to lack of oxygen, he confirmed that there was shortage of liquid oxygen at the medical college and that due to non-payment of Rs 70 lakhs, the vendor supplying oxygen has stopped supply. However, he said the principal had told him that for emergency use, alternative arrangements have been made.

He further said that part payment of Rs 35 lakh has been made to the vendor and that he had been requested not to disrupt the oxygen supply.
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Yogi Adityanath to make surprise calls to catch UPs truant 'babus'

Uttar Pradesh government 'babus' used to playing truant for an afternoon siesta or meeting an old friend will now risk getting caught as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has decided to dial up officers' on their office landlines to check if they are present.

Uttar Pradesh's Power Minister Shrikant Sharma said that Adityanath would make these surprise calls on office landlines of officers between 9 am to 6 pm.

If the officials are not able to justify their absence and explain the reasons for not being able to take the chief minister's call, there could be penalties, Sharma told a press conference today.

However, officers on field jobs will be given some relaxation, said Sharma, who is also a spokesman of the state government.

"The idea is that if the top bosses are present in office, juniors will follow their example," he explained.

In another significant decision, senior officers in the state have been ordered to immediately close their home- offices, Sharma said.

The priest-turned-politician, Adityanath, after he became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had made it clear that he expects the administration to put in long hours.

After he took over in March, Adityanath had warned that anyone who had problems working at least 18-20 hours per day should take a different path.

The 44-year-old chief minister had told the officials that only those who were ready to work up to 20 hours will be able to work with him.

He has also taken measures to ensure presence of the government staff by direction that biometric attendance systems be put in place to deter late-comers.

Surprise attendance checks have been carried out in various departments to check punctuality.
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Akhilesh Yadav updates his Twitter bio to Socialist leader of India

Former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday updated his Twitter bio to Socialist leader of India just before Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) firebrand leader Yogi Adityanath took oath as the current chief minister of the state.

Before getting dethroned from the chief minister's position, Akhilesh's Twitter bio read as 'The Chief Minister, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh'.

Following the BJP's victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Yogi Adityanath was elected as the next state chief minister.

The swearing-in ceremony of Adityanath and his cabinet took place earlier in the day.

Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya were sworn-in as the deputy chief ministers of the state.

In the recently held polls in the state, BJP had bagged 312 seats, and its allies 13, taking the alliance's tally to 325 in the 403-member Assembly. (READ MORE)

Patanjali to invest Rs 5,000 crore in four units

Latest News - Fast-growing swadeshi consumer goods company Patanjali Ayurved planned to start producing at four new facilities that would come up in 500 days at an investment of Rs 5,000 crore, the company’s Chief Executive Officer Bal Krishna told Business Standard.

The Project 500 encompasses food and herbal parks in Gautam Buddh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Tezpur (Assam) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh). The facility in Assam is expected to be operational by March and the other parks will start production by mid-2018.

The food park in Uttar Pradesh, which would cater to the National Capital Region, would need an investment of Rs 1,400 crore in two phases, Bal Krishna said. The first phase would be ready by Diwali, he added.

An average sales growth rate of (Read More)