Pioneer In Short
Delhi minister under fire for slap
Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma faced criticism on Sunday after a video circulated on social media purportedly showed him slapping a man who was recording a road inspection in Tilak Nagar. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, who was present at the site, pulled out portions of the newly laid road surface by hand and questioned its quality. Singh alleged that Verma, instead of responding to questions about the road, slapped the man recording the proceedings. AAP leaders, including party chief Arvind Kejriwal, demanded action against Verma. Kejriwal said he would visit Tilak Nagar on Monday to inspect the road.
AAP leaders also alleged that poor-quality construction had involved public money. Verma said the video was circulated without context and alleged that Singh had sought a commission from the road contractor. He claimed that when he visited the site after Singh complained about the road, AAP workers abused him and his family, prompting his reaction. Verma said the Delhi Government would independently audit road works, including through core-cutting tests, to assess construction quality. He also said attempts to obstruct Government work or demand commissions would not be tolerated.
BMC collects 2,755 tonnes idol waste
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) collected 2,754.85 tonnes of post-immersion idol material during this year’s Ganesh festival, transporting the waste in 707 vehicle trips between September 16 and 27, the civic body said on Sunday. The highest single-day collection was recorded on Anant Chaturdashi on September 26, when 131 vehicle trips carried 510.92 tonnes of remnants such as flowers, garlands and food and idol material. The BMC said the exercise followed Bombay HC directions and recommendations of a Central Pollution Control Board expert committee to prevent plaster of Paris-based idol material from remaining in water bodies. The collected material has been transported to a temporary storage facility in Mulund, where it will undergo further processing.
Ward-level teams collected idols and their remains, while covered vehicles and weighbridges were used to ensure proper transportation and record-keeping. Mechanical equipment was deployed where required.
