Three children drowned in pond
The deceased were identified as Korra Sushanth from Gangavalasa, and Gunta Bhanu Teja and Sai Kiran from Billaput village of Kothangi Panchayat. The three had reportedly gone for a swim in an MGNREGA-constructed pond located in front of the Jamalayya temple near the village. Reportedly all of them were below 15 years old.
According to locals, the boys accidentally slipped into the deeper parts of the pond and drowned.
Some locals rushed to rescue them but were unable to save the children in time.
Tragically, Bhanu Teja and Sai Kiran had only arrived a week ago to spend their school vacation at their maternal uncle's home.
The sudden loss of the three young lives has plunged the village into deep sorrow, with grieving families and relatives mourning the unimaginable loss. The incident has raised concerns over the safety of water bodies in rural areas and the lack of fencing or warning signs near ponds frequented by children.
Authorities are expected to initiate an inquiry and discuss possible preventive measures to avoid such tragedies in future.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
No resumption of MGNREGA work in West Bengal despite HC order says PBKMS
Despite an order by the Calcutta High Court, to resume MGNREGA in West Bengal from August 1, there has been no resumption of 100 days work, Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, a union of agricultural workers, said on Friday (August 1, 2025). Hearing a petition of PBKMS a division bench of the Calcutta High Court headed by T.S. Sivagnanam on June 18 directed the resumption of the scheme from August 1 'Yet, even after this landmark victory for rural workers, both the Central and State governments have chosen to brazenly defy the Court's order. Instead of preparing for the resumption of work, block offices in multiple districts are refusing to even accept job applications. This is a deliberate attack on the right to work of the state's poorest,' a press statement by PBKMS said. The union also added that job applications by people made under MGNREGA have been rejected. 'In just four days, between 28th and 31st July 2025, 2,092 job applications were submitted across block offices in Purulia, South 24 Parganas, and North 24 Parganas districts. Meanwhile, job applications from 1,349 workers were illegally rejected in 9 block offices across 7 districts,' the union said. A representative of PBKMS said that when they contacted the NREGA Commissioner, he clearly stated that no work will begin unless the Central Government issues fresh instructions - a position that clearly undermines the authority of the Calcutta High Court. Alleging willful inaction by both the governments, the union stated that the Central Government is equally guilty and by hiding behind Section 27 of the MGNREGA Act, 'it continues to block the release of funds and work, systematically depriving Bengal's workers of their legal right to employment'. The workers union also claimed that in Nadia district's Krishnagar-II block, when a member of the union accompanied workers to submit job applications, the BDO and several panchayat pradhans responded with abuse and threats, calling him a 'Bangladeshi' and threatening him with arrest and punitive action. Demanding the immediate implementation of MGNREGA work in West Bengal, as per the High Court order, the PBKMS stated that this blatant 'non-compliance with a High Court order is illegal, unjust, and unacceptable and it continue our struggle for the right to work in every village and every district'. Before the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, the Trinamool Congress along with MGNREGA workers held protests in Delhi demanding payment of wages and resumption of work. However, West Bengal's ruling party response to the High Court order has been lukewarm. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said her government has started Karmashree Prakalpa to provide at least 50 days of wage employment to each Job Card holder household in a financial year. The scheme, however, is not visible at the grass roots level .Work under MGNREGA had stopped in the State since December 2021 which has resulted in widespread rural distress and migration.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Time of India
2 fake NREGA job card holders found in Bengal in 2024-25
1 2 Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Tuesday questioned the Centre's stance towards Bengal after junior rural development minister Kamlesh Paswan informed party MP Mala Roy that only two fake NREGA job card holders had been found in the state in 2024–25, whereas the figures for UP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Odisha and MP ran into the thousands. In a statement on X, TMC said the figures placed in the Lok Sabha by the central minister clearly showed that 11,07,814 fake MGNREGA job cards were deleted across India between 2022 and 2025. "BJP-governed Uttar Pradesh alone accounted for 4,50,172 deletions, 40.6% of the total. The other top offenders, Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, are all Double Engine states. Bengal saw just 5,984 deletions, a mere 0.5%," the party said. The party questioned BJP, asking, "Yet it is Bengal whose MGNREGA funds were cruelly blocked, with bogus allegations of irregularities. So, which is it, BJP? Were you lying all along to justify your economic blockade against Bengal out of pure political vendetta? Or are BJP-ruled states simply above scrutiny?" Calcutta High Court on June 18 directed the Centre to resume the 100 days' work programme in Bengal from August 1, saying the scheme could not be "put in cold storage for eternity". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In IC Markets Learn More Undo The NREGA scheme was suspended in the state for close to three years. A person who obtained wages illegally or under fictitious names could not go free and had to be dealt with firmly, Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said. "But what about those who did the work genuinely?" he asked, observing: "A line should be drawn and a cut-off date announced. " You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "The Centre told Lok Sabha that it is examining the HC order. This is an unprecedented blockade. The data shows that Bengal is being punished for its transparency and BJP-governed states are being rewarded for their illegality."
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Time of India
Priyank must resign for silence on drugs case: MLA
Mangaluru: Y Bharath Shetty, MLA, Mangaluru City North constituency, sought an explanation from RDPR, IT, and BT Priyank Kharge, regarding the arrest of Lingaraj Kanni, the Congress block president of Kalaburagi South, by Maharashtra police in a drug trafficking case. The MLA told reporters on Thursday, that the minister, who has been critical of RSS, Sangh Parivar, and BJP, should also address the involvement of the Congress member in drug trafficking. "Priyank Kharge has not responded to the arrest of the Congress member yet. Drug supply was rampant in Kalaburagi for over six months through him. Home minister G Parameshwara failed to check the illegal supply of drugs when the police were silent. Let the minister resign if he is not able to share his reaction on the issue, clarifying his stance," Shetty said. He said the silence of the minister raises suspicion that he was also receiving "blessings". "Though it is a serious issue, the Congress has not taken it seriously. Priyank, who has been sharing his critical views on BJP and Sangh Parivar, has not written anything about the drug racket in Kalaburagi. Meanwhile, he is trying to divert the issue by writing on other political issues on social media. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Luxury Awaits at Paras Floret | Paras Sector 59 Gurgaon Paras The Florett Book Now Undo In the 'Republic of Gulbarga', they are engaged in drug deals, and outside they speak on the Constitution," Shetty alleged. Stating that a huge racket is working behind the drug racket in the state, the MLA said that the menace has resulted even in suicides. Stating that Dakshina Kannada has a large number of educational institutions, the MLA said that home minister G Parameshwara stated recently that he will not allow Mangaluru to be converted into "Udta Punjab". "Has the home minister got intelligence input on this?" he questioned. Demanding a wing of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mangaluru, the MLA said that the recently formed Special Action Force (SAF) is of no use and such forces should be formed in Mangaluru to check illegal drug supply. He also lashed out at the minister, stating that the departments are corrupt. He alleged corruption in the implementation of MGNREGA and a lack of projects taken up by Keonics. "Keonics has failed to take up the pending projects, which were launched by the previous BJP govt," he said.
