India

Kolkata, May 16 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress on Saturday slammed the Centre over the death of 24 migrant workers in an accident in Uttar Pradesh and blamed its "botched up lockdown" and "arrogant" approach for the suffering of lakhs of them across the country.

The migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district early this morning, police said.

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Centre should stop acting like a 'sahukar' (money lender) for its children, and demanded that cash assistance be given to the poor and vulnerable sections, who are in dire need of money now, than credit.

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said electricity distribution companies in Union Territories (UTs) will be privatised.

This is expected to provide a model to be replicated in states later to improve efficiency and attract investment.

Unveiling the fourth tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package to revive the coronavirus-hit economy, Sitharaman said there is sub-optimal performance of power distribution and supply in the country.

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) As hundreds of migrants continue to travel a long distance in this COVID-19 crisis, Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday appealed to state governments to immediately lift food grains and pulses from the godowns and distribute them for free within a fortnight to 8 crore migrants who neither have centre nor state ration card.

Muzaffarnagar, May 15 (PTI) Nearly 100 migrant workers crossed the Yamuna, which flows along UP-Haryana border on some stretches, and reached Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said on Friday.

The workers, who were stranded in Haryana due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, crossed the river and reached Kairana town in Shamli during Thursday night, police said.

The district authorities have sent them to a shelter home, police added.

Kanpur: "Summer shows its wrath now," says one. Certainly, the weather is not just the same in Jajmau area now. The normal temperature stays between 43° Celsius and 25° Celsius. Sunny day adds heat to the warm weather thereby forcing the residents to confine into the cooled room. The Muslim devouts who keep fast do not feel comfortable in such hot weather.

Lucknow, May 16 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday termed the death of 24 migrant labourers in Auraiya as "indescribable" sadness, saying such accidents are "not deaths, but murders".

At least 24 migrant labourers lost their lives and 36 people sustained injuries when a trailer truck carrying them collided with another truck in the early hours of Saturday in Auraiya, police said.

Both the trucks were carrying the labourers. The incident took place between 3 am and 3.30 am, they said.

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) The Myanmar army on Friday handed over to India 22 insurgents from the Northeast, including self-styled home secretary of NDFB (S) Rajen Daimary, in a clandestine operation monitored by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, officials said.

The insurgents were brought to India on a special aircraft and handed over to police forces in Manipur and Assam where they are wanted, they said.

Chennai, May 16 (PTI) A well-known city-based surgeon is among the Indian medical professionals in Dubai to have joined the war against Covid-19 in the middle eastern country, following an appeal from the Indian High Commission there.

Laparoscopic surgeon Dr J S Rajkumar was on a visit to Dubai when he decided to heed the Indian High Commission's call and volunteer himself.

Bhopal, May 16 (PTI) Over 60 foreign nationals, who are members of Tablighi Jamaat, have been arrested by police here for participating in various religious programmes of the organisation in violation of Foreigners Act and under the Indian Penal Code, a senior officer said on Saturday.

Earlier, seven cases were registered against them under visa norms at various police stations in Bhopal.