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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Veena visits Bindhu's kin, assures aid
Kottayam: A day after opposition parties staged statewide protests demanding her resignation, health minister Veena George visited the family of D Bindu, the 52-year-old woman who had died after a portion of a building at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, collapsed three days ago. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now George reached Bindu's residence in Thalayolaparambu early on Sunday and spent time with her grieving family, including Bindhu's mother, husband, and children. Bindu had been staying at the hospital to care for her daughter, who was admitted as an inpatient, when she was trapped under the debris. The minister assured the family that the govt would cover the full cost of their daughter's surgery, with further treatment decisions to be taken after a medical board meeting on Monday. She added that the state would also consider the family's other demands, including compensation and a job for Bindu's son. "As far as I'm concerned, this family's sorrow is my sorrow. I met her husband, mother, and other relatives and shared their grief. The govt will stand by them in every possible way," George said, adding that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan would announce the relief measures after a state cabinet decision. Bindu's husband, Visruthan, said that the family was hopeful about govt support and stated that the family is satisfied with the interventions made by the authorities. CPM state committee member K Anil Kumar, who accompanied the minister, also promised assistance for completing the family's house construction. Meanwhile, Kottayam MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan demanded Rs 25 lakh in compensation for the family, a permanent job for Bindu's son and free treatment for her daughter. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At a press conference, he said the hospital management committee hadn't met in two years. "Yet funds were spent. The public deserves an explanation," he said. He also called for the immediate commissioning of 12 operation theatres, highlighting that only four are functional and two of those lack sterility. "Ward 26 is leaking, a new building caught fire in 2023 and safety regulations were ignored," he alleged. UDF leader Ramesh Chennithala, who also visited Bindu's home, demanded a safety audit of all state govt hospital buildings. He criticized the health minister for fearing protests and avoiding a daylight visit to Bindu's residence. "People are unhappy with the health department's reckless actions," he stated. "There's no medicine or basic supplies, forcing doctors to treat poor patients only if they bring their own. We have good doctors, but what can they do without medicines?"
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Officials to tour BJP-ruled MP to study Indore sanitation model
T'puram: Even as the state govt faces mounting criticism over its handling of waste management, including the toxic smoke crisis from the Brahmapuram fire in Kochi in 2023, a team of senior officials is heading to BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh to study the acclaimed sanitation model of Indore municipal corporation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The move comes months ahead of the local body elections, where the govt's performance on civic issues is expected to be a major campaign theme. A delegation led by local self govt special secretary T V Anupama will visit Indore from July 8 to 10 to study the city's solid waste management practices and sanitation systems. The visit is based on the city's consistent record as the country's cleanest under the Swachh Survekshan rankings. A govt order approving the visit was issued on July 2. This is not the first time that a CPM-led govt in Kerala is turning to BJP-governed states for insights into administrative systems. In 2022, a team led by then chief secretary V P Joy visited Gujarat from April 27 to 29 to study its real-time e-governance dashboard and described the Gujarat model as "remarkable". The latest visit, also coinciding with the chief minister's current trip to the US for follow-up treatment, has once again brought focus to the LDF govt's approach of borrowing governance models from states it has traditionally criticised. It has also reignited political discussions on the CPM's shifting stance on engaging with BJP-ruled states. Back in 2013, the party took a sharp position against even symbolic engagements with BJP leaders. When then labour minister Shibu Baby John met the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad to discuss labour sector practices, CPM demanded that chief minister Oommen Chandy clarify the govt's position. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Pinarayi Vijayan, then CPM state secretary, was vocal in stating that there was "nothing in Gujarat's labour sector Kerala needs to learn. " The party even demanded Shibu's resignation. In contrast, the current official visit to Indore is being undertaken without much political commentary from the CPM, though it comes at a time when the state's own waste management record has been severely criticised. The Brahmapuram fire incident in 2023, which choked Kochi with toxic smoke for days, prompted widespread public outrage and legal scrutiny, exposing serious flaws in Kerala's waste handling infrastructure. "With the local body polls nearing, civic issues like garbage management, sanitation and public health are expected to dominate public discourse. The Indore visit, while aimed at adopting best practices, may also be viewed through the lens of political messaging and damage control," a senior official in the department said on conditions of anonymity. While officials maintain that there is no contradiction in studying successful models regardless of which party governs a state, political observers say such visits inevitably draw attention when past statements and current actions appear misaligned. The key question, however, remains whether these study tours will translate into meaningful reforms on the ground or remain symbolic gestures without follow-through, as happened with the 2022 Gujarat tour.
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
US fighter jets intercept unauthorized aircraft near Trump's golf club in New Jersey
US Air Force fighter jets scrambled over the weekend to intercept multiple aircraft that entered restricted airspace near President Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, marking the 11th incursion in just two days, according to the Air Force and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The small private planes repeatedly violated a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place while Trump is in residence. The most recent incident occurred on Sunday morning (July 6) when an unauthorised aircraft was detected and swiftly escorted out of the area. On Saturday (July 5) alone, NORAD reported five incursions, including a notable incident around 2:39 p.m. when an F-16 fighter jet intercepted a general aviation aircraft. In a statement, NORAD said its pilot performed a 'headbutt' maneuver—a close approach intended to get the civilian pilot's attention—and then guided the plane to safety outside the restricted zone. The airspace around Trump National Golf Club is subject to a 30-nautical-mile radius restriction whenever the President is present. Violations trigger immediate responses by NORAD's integrated defense system, which relies on radars, satellites, and rapid-response fighter jets. The White House declined to comment on the weekend's interceptions. However, NORAD noted that similar breaches have been frequent since Trump's return to the presidency in January 2025. Earlier in Trump's tenure, Palm Beach's Mar-a-Lago residence also faced routine violations of restricted airspace. Officials have urged pilots to closely monitor FAA Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) to avoid accidental incursions, particularly during periods of presidential travel. The US Air Force reiterated its call for civilian pilots to adhere strictly to all flight restrictions, emphasising that unauthorized entry could lead to forceful measures to protect national security. NORAD's layered defense network, spanning both US and Canadian airspace, is designed to detect, deter, and, if necessary, neutralise airborne threats, especially near sensitive sites and when high-profile officials are present.
