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Hyderabad, Oct 1 (IANS) The massy street song with rugged dance moves from Nani's most awaited Pan India film 'Dasara' will be released on the occasion of Dussehra. The song 'Dhoom Dhaam Dhosthaan' scored by Santhosh Narayan showcases the amazing dance of Nani, alongside his buddies in coal mines.

A poster from the song is out and Nani's raw and rustic get-up goes beyond imagination. The ruggedness of his character is evident through his look. Sporting messy hair, a shabby beard and dressed in a lungi and unbuttoned shirt and a vest inside, Nani flashes a million-dollar smile.

Srikanth Odela is debuting as director with the movie being mounted on a large scale by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the banner of Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas. National Award-Winning actress Keerthy Suresh is playing Nani's love interest in the movie.

Samuthirakani, Sai Kumar and Zarina Wahab are the important cast of the film that will have music by Santhosh Narayanan with Sathyan Sooryan ISC handling cinematography.

Navin Nooli is the editor and Avinash Kolla is the production designer of the film, and Vijay Chaganti is the Executive Producer.

The film Dasara will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi languages on March 30 next year.

--IANS
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By Vishal Gulati
Shimla, Oct 1 (IANS) With the passing away of six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who literally 'ruled' the political landscape single-handedly for almost six decades, the somnolent Congress in Himachal Pradesh seems fractured and divided in his absence. No other leader enjoys the mass appeal and popularity that he had.


Political observers believe the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is facing anti-incumbency, has somehow managed an edge over its rival Congress by making it clear that the party will go to the upcoming polls, just weeks away, under the leadership of first-time Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. Most probably, the party is likely to retain him for the post, if the BJP comes back to power.

In contrast, the main Opposition Congress, which is confident of clawing back to power and banks largely on a trend to sweep the polls alternatively as both arch rivals ruled the state from 1985, is facing a leadership crisis, resulting in veterans jumping ship to the BJP.

The latest high-profile exit from the Congress party was loyalist and three-time legislator Harsh Mahajan, who for over a decade played a crucial role in strengthening the party's organisation at the grassroots under Virbhadra Singh.

Mahajan, 66, also close to Congress loyalist-turned-rebel Ghulam Nabi Azad, was president of the state Youth Congress for nine years, the longest serving president so far, and served as a cabinet minister and a parliamentary secretary for 10 years.

Before Mahajan, the other prominent leaders who defected were five-time legislator Ram Lal Thakur, who resigned as vice-president of the party committee citing "displeasure" over its working, and two sitting legislators -- Lakhwinder Rana and Pawan Kajal.

Interestingly both Mahajan and Kajal were appointed the state working presidents, along with two others, Rajinder Rana and Vinay Kumar, when the three-term MP Pratibha Singh, the widow of Virbhadra Singh, was appointed the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president in April.

"The Congress at the national level stands directionless and lacking in vision, faced with a crisis of leadership, tainted by sycophancy and corruption. This has translated into a diminishing of its numbers, with some of the tallest leaders and stalwarts of the grand old party being compelled to leave its ranks despite years of dedicated service to the organisation," Mahajan, who played a crucial role in the grooming of Virbhadra Singh's first-time legislator son Vikramaditya, told IANS.

Interestingly, two working presidents of the HPCC have defected.

The question is: Will a season of shifting loyalties swing elections in the BJP's favour?

Corruption, unemployment and poor performance of the government will be among the major issues in the forthcoming Assembly elections, said AICC spokesperson Alka Lamba.

She said the BJP government, both at the Centre and the state, has been making false claims.

A confidant Leader of the Opposition, Mukesh Agnihotri, told the Congress workers to forget those who had left the party and move ahead. "The Congress is going to form the next government in the state."

But senior BJP cabinet minister Suresh Bhardwaj believes the Congress leadership is a divided house, be it at the national level or in the states.

"Rajasthan is the latest example. The Congress is not able to decide a name for the post of national president outside a particular family. G23 leaders are revolting, some of them have quit the party."

"As far as Himachal is concerned, the Congress state president in an interview has questioned the high command. It's like every leader is opposing others. People in the state have decided to retain the BJP government and the Congress knows it very well," Bhardwaj, a legislator from Shimla, told IANS.

Political observers say the BJP under the leadership of Jai Ram Thakur is facing clear cut anti-incumbency. This reflected in its humiliating defeat in the October 2021 by-polls in three Assembly seats and one parliamentary seat of Mandi having 17 Assembly seats in Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba districts.

"To overcome the anti-incumbency, the BJP central leadership is focusing to induct seasoned politicians with organisational and ministerial experience from the Congress to give the state leadership a new look to win a consecutive term. For the Congress, the exodus of leaders means dampening the morale to grassroots in the run-up to the polls," a political observer told IANS.

Mahajan, who was associated with the party from the beginning of his political career and inherited politics from his father late Desh Raj, jumping on the "leave Congress" bandwagon is a setback to the party at a time when the party is struggling to re-establish its credentials in the absence of stalwart Virbhadra Singh, who was known in the political circles to ensure not only the win of his loyalists but also demolish his political adversaries, even those within the party.

According to BJP sources, Mahajan's induction is part of the party's strategy to re-establish its presence on seats which have traditionally been weak.

With the poll fever rising every day, political observers say the season of switching loyalties will be peaking.

Political leaders owing allegiance to Mahajan are busy exploring options and looking for greener pastures as the party is failing to project a united face and a mass leader like Virbhadra Singh, who in every poll donned battle gear and declared himself the "self-styled commander" to lead the party.

The Election Commission, which just concluded its three-day visit to the state, is likely to announce the election schedule in the first week of October. The term of the 68-member Assembly ends on January 7 next year.

As far as campaigning goes, the BJP is far ahead of its arch rival.

While Chief Minister Thakur has been on a whirlwind tour of the state, the Congress is banking on its central leadership as its state senior leaders -- Mukesh Agnihotri, Kaul Singh Thakur, Sukhvinder Sukhu, Harsh Vardhan, Sudhir Sharma and Asha Kumari -- are concentrating on their respective seats only.

Unlike her husband, who had a direct connect even at the grassroots, state unit chief Pratibha Singh, who has never contested the Assembly poll, is spearheading the campaign by banking on its promise to bring back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) that will benefit 225,000 employees, a crucial vote bank.

However, the "divided" Congress is struggling to speak with one voice over key issues to put the government in the dock over corruption, deteriorating law and order situation, rising debt, an education scam of selling more than 45,000 fake degrees and the constable recruitment question paper leak that was sold for Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.

The only saving grace for the Congress is induction of former BJP chief Khimi Ram, once a close confidante of former Chief Minister and BJP veteran Prem Kumar Dhumal. He served as a legislator from Banjar assembly constituency twice from 2003 to 2012.

Also the Congress managed to rope in BJP leader Indu Verma, who is the wife of late Rakesh Verma, a three-time legislator. The family has a base in Shimla district.

But leaders foresee more trouble in the Congress with the granting of tribal status by the Central government to nearly 2.50 lakh voters settled mainly in Sirmaur district, a demand pending for five decades.

The state party leadership fears an exodus of its leaders, comprising two sitting lawmakers -- Harsh Vardhan and Vinay Kumar, an HPCC working president, who have been "hobnobbing" with the BJP.

The Hatti community, who got the Scheduled Tribe status this month, is based mainly in the 133 panchayats dotting the trans-Giri area, which is part of the Shimla (reserved) seat.

Despite the growing rumblings, a confident young Congress leader Gokul Butail told IANS that there is no leadership crisis after Virbhadra Singh.

"It is rather an opportunity for the second line leaders to establish themselves. Two former BJP presidents have also joined the Congress recently. Our MLAs have been threatened and pressured by central investigating agencies. Whatever the BJP may do, there are strong winds of change blowing in Himachal Pradesh," Butail, AICC joint secretary and in-charge of the election war room, said.

The BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections had won all the four seats that saw 72.25 per cent polling.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS
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Bhopal, Oct 1 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has bagged seven municipal corporators' post in Singrauli district in the September 27 Madhya Pradesh urban body polls.

While Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) won six seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bagged three in the polls, results of which were declared on Friday.

According to state election commission, a total of 72 per cent voter turnout was reported
for the polls held for a total 814 posts of corporators in 46 urban bodies.

Of the total seats, the state ruling BJP won 417, while the Congress won 250 and independent candidates 131.

The ruling BJP won over 51 per cent seats that went to polls in 46 local bodies of 18 districts.

Importantly, the BJP managed to win four out of six seats of corporators in Chhindwara, which is bastion of former chief minister and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath. The Congress could managed to retain only two seats there.

In Sausar local body of Chhindwara, Congress even failed to open it's account as BJP won 14 out of 15 seats, while one reaming seat won by independent candidate.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a campaign rally in Chhindwara's Sausar area had pleaded with the people to elect BJP corporators.

"You did not gave even a single MLA from Chhindwara to BJP. Our government has done alot development works in Chhindwara, therefore, I would appeal to elect BJP corporators at least," Chouhan has said while addressing a poll gathering last week in Sausar. MP BJP president V. D. Sharma was leading the campaign in Chhindwara.A

The districts where polls were held include Anuppur, Umaria, Dindori, Mandla, Sagar, Singrauli, Shahdol, Balaghat, Seoni, Chhindwara, Betul, Raisen, Khandwa, Khargone, Alirajpur, Burhanpur, Jhabua and Ratlam.

--IANS
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Chennai, Oct 1 (IANS) Tamil Nadu's Department of Revenue has initiated steps against illegal quarrying in many parts of the state after several individuals, organisations and political parties pointed out the blatant embezzlement of mineral wealth without any license.

In Ariyallur district, two Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) were suspended by the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) after it was found that they were hand in glove with an illegal limestone quarrying group.

There were reports of illegal mining also taking place in Karuppur Senapathy, Reddipalayam, Periyathirukkonam, Unjini and Thalavai.

The two VAOs were suspended after 11 trucks with illegal mines were seized. They merely mentioned that the vehicles were carrying materials beyond their capacities and that the vehicles were covered.

On proper investigation, the RDO found out that the limestone that was being transported was extracted from illegal mines and that the two VAOs were responsible for checking the legality of the quarries and mines in their jurisdiction.

Environmental activist R. Rajendran, who runs the Special Action Group in Tiruchi, told IANS: "The incident at Ariyalur is only the tip of the iceberg. Loads of trucks are transporting minerals that are extracted from illegal mines. They are destroying the environment and even paying any rightful taxes to the government. Unless stringent action is taken, nothing will stop these looters from getting away and it is unfortunate that these people have political patronage."

In Theni district, there have been widespread protests against illegal mining with truck loads of materials, including stones, being transported to Kerala.

Speaking to IANS, R. Ilavarasan, a social activist based out of Theni, said: "There is blatant mining taking place in these quarries. Most of them are illegal and in some cases, there is license for one quarry and with that paper, several others are functioning. We have given several complaints to many offices but to no avail. We are planning a 'road roko' agitation to bring the situation to the forefront and there could be major natural catastrophes in the days to come if we don't put an end to this illegal mining."

There are complaints from the Dindigul, Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi districts about illegal mining.

When contacted, a senior official with the Department of Revenue told IANS that a crackdown has already begun and that many vehicles transporting illegal limestones and other materials were seized in Ariyalur, Coimbatore, Dindigul and Tirunelveli.

He also said that special squads are involved in preventing illegal transportation and those mines and quarries that do not have licenses are being shut down.

--IANS
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Chennai, Sep 30 (IANS) A court in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul convicted a man for sexually assaulting a minor girl in 2016 and sentenced him to 40 years rigorous imprisonment.

It also handed down a 10 year jail sentence to his woman accomplice.

The woman police station in Dindigul had registered a case against Vinoth, 32, and Savitha, 37, on November 28, 2016, for sexually assaulting a minor girl in his neighbourhood.

The Dindigul woman court also fined Vinoth Rs 40,000 and Savitha Rs 10,000.

The duo was charged under Sections 366 (kidnapping, abducting, or inducing woman to compel her marriage) and 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.

--IANS
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Panaji, Sep 30 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that his government is committed to work and provide all the required facilities in schools for special children in the state.

Sawant was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a hostel facility for students with special needs of Aastha's Anand Niketan (School for Differently Abled Children) at Mapusa in north Goa.

He urged all the donors to come forward to complete the project at the earliest. "We should come forward with donations to help such institutions to march forward with new ideas and goals," he said.

Sawant assured that all expenses or grants required for maintaining the hostel after its completion will be borne by the government. "100 per cent grants will be provided by the government to run this hostel," he said.

Sawant appreciated all the organisations which provide comprehensive services to the differently abled children all over the state and said that teachers and management committees' efforts and relentless work in providing education for children with special educational needs or disability is praiseworthy.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 30 (IANS) The Karnataka government on Friday directed the education department to submit a report on the activities of madrasas in the state, stirring a controversy.

The education department has taken up the exercise amid the demands to ban madrasas in the state by Hindu organisations, according to the sources.

It has been alleged that suspicious activities are going on in madrasas.

The government has asked the department to submit report about 960 madrasas in the state.

A committee has been formed under the leadership of the Commissioner of the education department, which will give comprehensive report on the activities of the madrasas.

BJP insiders said that after the submission of the report, a decision would be made on whether the madrasas should be banned or these should be brought under the jurisdiction of the education department.

The BJP insiders said that the ruling BJP in Karnataka is contemplating the action on madrasas on the lines of the Uttar Pradesh government in connection with madrasas.

--IANS
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By S.R. Pareek
Ratlam (MP), Sep 30 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Sukheda Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ratlam's Piploda block stands for everything that is wrong with the rural healthcare services in Madhya Pradesh. The six-bedded PHC, which used to manage 15 to 20 deliveries a month almost three years ago, sees none at present, all thanks to the transfer of the lone trained Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) in 2019.



Now, the village women have to travel 60 km to the district headquarters, or 20 km to Jwara or Piploda villages for even basic healthcare. Sukheda has a population of almost 7,000.

Anita (26) of Sukheda shivered as she relived the ordeal she underwent before her second child's delivery. "I was in the eighth month of my pregnancy. One evening, I suddenly began to experience pain. My family members got worried, and they rushed me to Sukheda PHC. Much to our dismay, the staff there redirected us to Ratlam citing lack of facilities."

"I was in extreme pain. Though my family repeatedly called 108 ambulance to take me to Ratlam, the service was not available. They then began to frantically search for a private vehicle. Finally, we got one for Rs 2,000, and just as we crossed 10 km, the baby came out. We then decided to return home," Anita told 101Reporters.

Essential services missing

Medical services at Sukheda PHC are in a disarray not just due to the lack of trained ANMs. The posts of lab technician, pharmacist and male supervisor are also empty at present. In short, lab machines are useless as no tests can be done in the absence of trained manpower. Even something as common as medicine for high blood pressure is mostly unavailable here.

As per the National Health Mission guidelines, outpatient department service, 24-hour emergency, inpatient service, antenatal and postnatal care, newborn care, medical termination of pregnancies, laundry and food services for indoor patients are among the essential services that the PHC should offer. However, Sukheda PHC does not have even a provision for food supply!

A source linked to the PHC said that food was not being provided as the PHC saw no deliveries. "No delivery means no admission. For those who come to get small ailments treated, hospitalisation is not prescribed. That explains the non-availability of meals," she explained. The PHC does wash bed sheets and covers regularly, for which it gets funds from the patient welfare committee.

Sukheda PHC got its medical officer only a month ago, after a gap of one year. Talking to 101Reporters, Medical Officer Dr Seema Chouhdari said, "It is true that women have to travel 20 km to Piploda community health centre (CHC). I have already notified my senior officials about the issues affecting the PHC's functioning, though I have taken charge here only a month ago. I have been told that an ANM will be appointed soon, which may help restart delivery services here."

Sukheda has two ANMs at present, but they are not trained in dealing with deliveries. One of them is under training for maternity care at Piploda CHC. As of now, the PHC is handling vaccinations, intravenous therapy, and treatment of viral and seasonal diseases. According to Dr Seema, about 55 pregnant women coming under Sukheda PHC limits now depend on Jwara and Piploda health centres.

While many village women are anaemic, five have low haemoglobin count. All of them have to go to Piploda to get iron injections. As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 7.9 per cent of women in Ratlam district need medication for BP. They also have to rely on Jwara and Piploda centres.

It is the same case with family planning advice and services. Parvati (36) (name changed) and her husband had visited the PHC seeking family planning information, but were redirected to Piploda. "Considering the distance and time to commute, we decided not to go there for a vasectomy."

Officials feign ignorance

Former medical officer Dr RC Verma claimed the facilities were satisfactory during his tenure. "Now, almost 20 per cent of pregnant women prefer to go to private hospitals," he said, adding that a trained ANM's presence was crucial to ensure the PHC's functioning.

"Patients and their families bear the brunt of staff crunch. We are ready to support the health department to improve the situation. But they have to start first," said sarpanch Mahavir Mehta.

Claiming that he was unaware of the situation on the ground, MLA Dr Rajendra Pandey assured of action after speaking to the health officials concerned. Block Medical Officer Dr Yogendra Gamad said except for a trained ANM, Sukheda had all facilities. He, however, refused to comment on the non-functioning of the lab. "Soon more resources and trained ANMs will be appointed," he said.

(The author is a freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)

--IANS
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Chamarajanagar (Karnataka), Sep 30 (IANS) Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi entered Karnataka on Friday amid a warm welcome by Siddaramaiah and his supporters, who in the process violated forest rules.

Siddaramaiah and his supporters had gathered in the Tiger Reserve Forest near Kekkanahalli at the Karnataka border. The forest department had denied permission for the padayatra in the reserve forest and had given permission to travel by car only.

But Siddaramaiah stopped his vehicle and welcomed Rahul Gandhi in the Tiger Reserve Forest along with former ministers and senior Congress leaders Mahadevappa, K.J. George and others.

Rahul Gandhi will participate in a convention organised at Gundlupet town before the launch of the 21-day Bharat Jodo Yatra through Karnataka. The party has arranged lunch for 30,000 party workers in the Veeranapura village.

Rahul Gandhi will walk for four kilometers after the convention on the National Highway before halting for lunch. He will interact with Adivasis and families of victims who died due to lack of oxygen in Chamarajanagar district hospital during Covid-19 pandemic.

The padayatra will resume at 4 p.m. near Bendakalli Gate, and at 7 p.m. the first day's yatra will end at Begur village.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 30 (IANS) A Dalit youth has accused the Karnataka police of third degree torture and illegally detaining him for 12 days here.

Rajesh A, a resident of RR Layout in Ramamurthy Nagar in Bengaluru, has filed a complaint with the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, the State Human Rights Commission and the Bengaluru Police Commissioner in connection with the incident, authorities confirmed on Friday.

He has lodged a complaint against Police Inspector Melvin Francis, sub-inspector Shivaraj and other staff attached to Ramamurthy Nagar police station.

In his complaint, the youth stated that the accused police who picked him up forced him to confess to an attempt to murder case. "The seven police personnel had picked me up on September 4 from B Narayanapura bus stand in Bengaluru in a car and took me to the police station," he stated in the complaint.

"Sub-Inspector Shivaraj stripped me and filmed it. Later, on the directions of the police inspector Melvin, they took me upstairs and beat me up with wooden logs and cricket bats," he alleged.

"On September 4, 5 and 6, I was given electric shocks on my private parts. "They sprayed urine on my body with their boots. My hands and legs were tied. Sub-inspector Shivaraj sat on my chest and attacked my face with his boots," he stated.

"After 12 days, I was released but they threatened to implicate me in false cases and sent to jail if I revealed anything about the torture." The police, he said, also forced him to sign on blank papers.

He was admitted to a government hospital and later decided to lodge a complaint against the police. However, the police department has refuted allegations against their staff.

DCP Bhimashankar Guled stated that Rajesh is facing the fear of arrest in connection with an attempted robbery case. The police have given him notice to appear for investigation and he was questioned, he added.

--IANS
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