New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Friday that the government is working to introduce the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 11 hospitals and a transaction adviser is being appointed for the purpose.Speaking to reporters after an inspection at Bawana’s Maharshi Valmiki hospital, Singh said the government is committed to implementing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and address concerns of patients and the doctors.“We have come across some lapses and shortcomings at Maharshi Valmiki Hospital and I have ordered their resolution within 15 days,” said Singh.He claimed that the Health Department was on the path of recovery after suffering due to mismanagement of the previous AAP government.The Health Minister pointed to delays in construction of an operation theatre at the hospital which has not been completed for over a year, problems with civil works, and shortage of staff.The Delhi Health Minister’s visit to the hospital comes a day after the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) booked former health ministers and AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain for alleged corruption in health infrastructure projects involving 24 hospitals and expenditure of Rs 5,590 crore by the Delhi Government.A cheating, breach of trust and conspiracy case was registered after the Centre, on the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, granted sanction for proceedings against the previous government’s minister under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.The financial embezzlement linked to the projects, mired in inexplicable delays and astronomical cost overruns, took place in 2018-19, said the official.Massive irregularities, unexplained delays, and significant misappropriation of funds have been found in the construction of various hospitals, polyclinics and ICU infrastructure across the city, said an investigator.Substantial deviations and cost escalations, amounting to several hundred crores, were observed. Not a single project was completed within the prescribed timeline, said the complaint filed on August 22 by the then Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta.Gupta had highlighted grave irregularities and suspected corruption in various health infrastructure projects under the GNCTD.The complaint named former Health Ministers Bharadwaj and Jain, alleging systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds, and collusion with private contractors.–IANSrch/rad

Bengaluru, June 27 (IANS) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday dismissed remarks made by Minister K.N. Rajanna suggesting political changes in Karnataka, saying it is better to ignore such statements, and that there is no internal rift in the state unit.He said this while responding to media queries here after paying floral tributes to Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda’s statue on the occasion of his 516th birth anniversary, near the eastern entrance of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.When mediapersons asked him about Minister for Cooperation and his close confidante K.N. Rajanna’s statement that the state politics will see a big change soon, CM Siddaramaiah said that Minister Rajanna had only stated that “there could be some political developments in the state, not that something definite would happen”.The CM said that it would be best to ignore the statement when he was asked how Minister Rajanna’s remarks should be interpreted.Karnataka Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna, on Thursday, stirred a political debate by saying that the state will witness major changes after September, fuelling speculation about internal conflict within the Congress.Minister Rajanna made the remark after meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.Rajanna, a close confidant of CM Siddaramaiah, had remained silent following the recent honey trap controversy. He had previously claimed in the Assembly and later in Delhi that there were attempts to honey trap him and that he was ready to take on the role of state Congress President held by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.He also expressed willingness to resign from his Ministerial post.Speaking to the media, Minister Rajanna had said, “Let the month of September pass — you will witness big changes. There will be a revolution.”When asked whether he was referring to changes in the state politics, the Minister confirmed, saying, “Yes, I am referring to state politics. Everything will begin after September.” Rajanna also said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is governing under pressure.While trying to dismiss the speculations generated after Rajanna’s statements, CM Siddaramaiah said that there was nothing to be interpreted.Speaking about Kempe Gowda, CM Siddaramaiah stated, Kempe Gowda was an able and visionary administrator and is regarded as the founder of modern Bengaluru.The 516th birth anniversary of Kempe Gowda is being celebrated by the government in collaboration with the Kempe Gowda Development Authority and BBMP, he said.The CM recalled that during his previous term as Chief Minister (2013-18), the government, after discussions with the Adichunchanagiri Mutt pontiff Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, confirmed Kempe Gowda’s date of birth and has since then been celebrating the occasion officially every year.He stated that if Bengaluru is recognised at an international level today, it is because Kempegowda laid its foundation.The Chief Minister added that the government is committed to honouring Kempe Gowda’s legacy. Kempe Gowda, who built watch towers in four directions of the city, had a clear vision of how Bengaluru’s administration should function. During his rule, he developed several locality-based markets such as Nagarathpet, Chickpet, and Balepet. His model of administration remains exemplary, Siddaramaiah said.”Our government is working towards realising the dream of developing Bengaluru,” the Chief Minister said. The main celebration of Kempe Gowda Jayanti was held at Jagajeevan Ram Nagar in Sumanahalli.Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar paid floral tributes at the statue of Kempegowda located near the Bengaluru airport.–IANSmka

Bhopal, June 27 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh has recorded 37 per cent more rainfall than normal between June 1 to 26, according to India Meteorological Department’s regional office, Bhopal. Jhabua and Alirajpur districts have recorded the highest rainfall, and the IMD has forecast that these two districts will receive heavy rain in the next 24 hours.Heavy rain is also predicted in 20 other districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, and Jabalpur.According to IMD’s data, an orange alert has been issued for these two districts. Ten other districts – Rajgarh, Vidisha, Raisen, Sagar, Damoh, Seoni, Umaria, Dindori, Mandla, and Balaghat – are under heavy rain alert.Meanwhile, a yellow alert for rainfall is in place for Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Gwalior, and other districts.Weather officials said that a low-pressure area is also active along this path.Additionally, a cyclonic circulation is active in northeast Madhya Pradesh.With heavy rain lashing the state, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed officials to make arrangements to tackle any untoward situations.In a meeting with senior officials on Thursday, the Chief Minister directed that barricades be placed at waterlogged spots like submerged roads and bridges to ensure citizens’ safety.Drainage and sewer blockages should be resolved urgently, he said.In case of water release from dams, villagers should be informed through announcements, WhatsApp, phone calls, and other means.Disaster response teams must remain active, and boats should be arranged in the districts as required.The Chief Minister has directed officials to ensure arrangements at religious places during the upcoming major festivals in the next two months.District administrations have directed officials to ensure necessary arrangements at religious places during the upcoming major festivals in the next two months for the convenience of devotees.He has instructed that monsoon-related issues must be addressed promptly, and adequate arrangements should be made for seeds and fertilisers for farmers.–IANSpd/svn

Meerut, June 27 (IANS) Two persons were arrested on the charges of making objectionable comments…

Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) Mumbai BJP chief and Minister of Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar on…

Patna, June 27 (IANS) As Bihar gears up for the upcoming Assembly elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has released a new campaign song projecting Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, as a “strong, honest, and visionary leader” and “Bihar ka beta (son of Bihar).”The song outlines the RJD’s key poll promises, including ‘Mai-Bahin Maan Yojana’, employment opportunities for the youth, 200 units of free electricity, social security, monthly pension of Rs 1,500, improvement in education and healthcare, establishment of industries and stopping migration to other states.The video further claims that once the RJD government is formed, there will be an adequate number of doctors in hospitals, world-class treatment facilities, control over bribery and corruption in government systems, and focus on farmers, labourers, and the Constitution.The campaign song focusses on improving the lives of farmers and labourers and frames the upcoming election as a battle to protect the Constitution and democracy in Bihar.Through this campaign song, the RJD is working to strengthen Tejashwi Yadav’s image as a grassroots leader capable of bringing change in Bihar’s governance landscape while directly appealing to young voters, women, farmers, and marginalised communities.In a passionate appeal during a Student Parliament event held in Patna on Thursday, LoP Tejashwi asked for a chance to prove himself as Chief Minister, pledging to deliver in 20 months what the NDA couldn’t do in 20 years.His major promises included the formation of a youth commission, 100 per cent domicile policy for Bihar government jobs, fee waiver for all government examination forms, guarantee of 275 academic days per year in schools, mandatory 80 per cent attendance for students and state-sponsored exam preparation for all graduates.The RJD’s promises also include a world-class educational city on 2,000 acres of land, milk and eggs for every child from BPL families, focus on core subjects like English, Maths, and Science from Class 5, English fluency training for students, digital and physical libraries in every school, with mandatory reading hours.In a symbolic gesture, LoP Tejashwi distributed pens to students, saying: “Pencil marks can be erased, but pen marks cannot. This pen is for changing Bihar’s destiny.”–IANSajk/rad

New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar on Friday hit out at the Congress for not apologising even 50 years after it imposed the Emergency by “murdering” the Constitution.Speaking at the sidelines of a Mock Parliament organised by Delhi BJP here to mark the dark chapter of Emergency, Jaishankar said, “Some people go around carrying a copy of the Constitution, but they have little respect for it in their hearts. Has the Congress ever apologised for the Emergency?”“Holding a copy of the Constitution does not achieve anything. It should be in your heart and mind,” he said, in a veiled jab at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who often is seen displaying a pocket copy of the Constitution.Jaishankar said, “I tell young people that the Emergency happened because the interest of a family was put ahead of the interest of the nation with a great sense of pride.”“In contrast to Emergency, today we are saying the interest of the nation should be put ahead of everything else,” he said.”We need to keep the youth informed about the dangers of Emergency — how democracy and the Constitution were murdered and how restrictions were imposed on media — and the implications of the dark phase on India’s image on the international stage,” he said.Referring to the recent diplomatic outreach in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Minister said he feels a great sense of pride when he sees non-BJP leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Jha and Kanimozhi Karunanidhi leading Parliamentary delegations to inform the world about the country’s firm stand against terror.“I feel proud when I see a unity of delegations with all parties going out across the world and speaking in defence of our national interests, giving the message of zero-tolerance for terrorism,” he said.Talking about the feedback he got from the delegates after the diplomatic outreach, the Minister said, “They said in every country the most impressive part found by the hosts was that all parties, including opposition parties, were part of it.”Emergency, which lasted for 21 months from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, was imposed under Article 352 of the Constitution by the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under pressure from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.During the period of Emergency, citizens’ basic rights were suspended, media freedom was curbed through heavy censorship, the independence of the judiciary was severely undermined, and thousands of people were jailed without any hearing.–IANSrch/dpb

Kottayam, June 27 (IANS) Dispelling speculation that the Kerala Congress (Mani), the third biggest ally in the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), is unhappy and is seeking greener pastures, the chairman of the party and Rajya Sabha member Jose K. Mani said “they are a happy lot”.Mani said this on Friday ahead of a meeting of the party. “The news that we are moving base is only in the air, and we have had no discussions about it at all with anyone. We are happy in the Left Democratic Front,” said Jose.Incidentally, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan in the past week has said on multiple occasions that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is all set for expansion, as “unbelievable political things will happen”.Jose is the son of the legendary leader K.M. Mani, who founded the Kerala Congress party in the sixties. He passed away in 2019.His record of being the longest-serving legislator was beaten by Congress legend Oommen Chandy just before he passed away in 2023.Mani’s party over the years have seen numerous factions emerging, and his stock statement every time a split occurs is that the “Kerala Congress splits as it grows and grows as it splits”.The party has, over the years, also moved between the two traditional rival political fronts — the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led Left Front, which Jose is now part of.At present, there are various factions of the erstwhile Kerala Congress, and they include Kerala Congress and Kerala Congress(Jacob), both in the UDF, while in the ruling Left, apart from Kerala Congress (M), there are the Kerala Congress(B) and the Democratic Kerala Congress.One faction, which was led by seven-time veteran former legislator P.C. George, merged his party with the BJP. He joined the party in January 2024.Incidentally, it was during the 2020 local body polls that the party led by Jose moved towards the Left from the UDF and just before the 2021 Assembly polls, his party was made a permanent member of the Left.“Our meeting is being held to draw out a strategy for the soon-to-be-held local body polls,” added Jose.–IANSsg/dpb

New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday stressed that the core objective of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is to combat terrorism and that all member nations must reflect this shared goal in both words and actions. Addressing an event in the national capital, Jaishankar underlined India’s consistent position that terrorism must not be justified, glorified, or shielded under any pretext — a message that resonated with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s refusal to endorse a joint statement at the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting on Thursday.Without mentioning Pakistan, the EAM said, “The SCO was created with purpose of fighting terrorism. If any country participating on this platform selectively blocks references to terror incidents or avoids calling out terrorism, then it defeats the very purpose of the organisation,” Jaishankar said, without naming Pakistan.The remarks came in the backdrop of the SCO Defence Minister meeting in China on Thursday, where Rajnath Singh refused to sign the joint declaration document, citing its failure to address terrorism-related concerns, specifically the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 innocent people – mostly tourists, including one Nepal national.“Our position is very clear,” Jaishankar said. “One country objected to the mention of terrorism and we all know which country it is. That is why our Defence Minister did not endorse the statement. If fighting terrorism is our common goal, then we must call out every act and every place affected.”India has consistently pushed for greater cooperation within SCO on security matters but has often found itself at odds with countries that differentiate between “good” and “bad” terrorism.The refusal to acknowledge Pahalgam terror attack has further exposed these fault lines within the bloc.Besides India, the SCO member countries are Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus. India became a member of the SCO in 2017 and assumed the rotating Chairmanship in 2023.–IANS-sas/mr

Patna, June 27 (IANS) In a shocking incident, passengers of the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Duronto Express were looted near Gaya, Bihar, in the early hours of Friday.

According to an official of the Gaya Government Railway Police (GRP), a group of unidentified robbers targeted at least five coaches of the train, stealing bags, mobile phones, laptops, and other valuables from passengers.After looting, the miscreants pulled the emergency chain between Paraiya and Kastha stations on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU)-Gaya railway section around 2 a.m., bringing the train to a halt for over half an hour before escaping under the cover of darkness.Several passengers reported that purses, mobiles and laptops of at least 12 of them were stolen during the incident, causing panic.The passengers claimed that a few people were roaming on Thursday night when the train departed from DDU railway station.”Shockingly, there were no railway protection force personnel patrolling in the coaches for the safety of the passengers,” said a passenger at Gaya Railway Station.The incident sparked outrage as angry passengers protested at Gaya Railway Station and demanded the recovery of their looted valuables.Upon receiving information, railway police and local Paraiya police rushed to the spot and began their investigation.A special team led by the Railway DSP has been formed to track down the culprits.During the preliminary investigation, several empty bags were recovered near the tracks, indicating that the thieves had stolen the contents before discarding the bags.Police suspect the involvement of a well-organised gang in the incident.A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at the Gaya GRP police station regarding the theft.Notably, two months ago, a similar incident was reported from the same Duronto Express near Tankuppa station on the Gaya-Koderma railway section.–IANSajk/svn