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Rs 389 crore dam collapses day before inauguration in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, RJD cries corruption

Published

9 years ago

September 20, 2017

Rs 389 crore dam collapses day before inauguration in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, RJD cries corruption

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The 60-km Bateshwar Sthan pump canal project, originating from Ganga at Kahalgaon, was ‘completed’ 40 years after its construction began in 1977

A day before Bihar chief minister was set to inaugurate it amid much pomp and show, a portion of a Rs 389 crore dam built in the state’s Bhagalpur district after a 40-year- long wait collapsed, on Tuesday, during its trial run flooding several parts of the district. The incident has prompted allegations of corruption by RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav in the construction of the dam.

The dam’s collapse predictably left chief minister Nitish Kumar embarrassed as his office informed the media late on Tuesday evening that the inauguration of the Bateshwar Sthan Ganga Pump Canal Project was being cancelled due to “technical reasons”. Earlier in the day almost all leading newspapers in the state had carried huge advertisements announcing the proposed inauguration of the project by Kumar and the state’s water resources and irrigation minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lallan’.

The 60-km-long Bateshwar Sthan Ganga Pump Canal Project, construction of which had begun in 1977 with an initial estimated cost of Rs 13.88 crore, is supposed to irrigate 21,700 hectares of land in Bihar and 4,000 hectares in Jharkhand. Neglected by successive state governments, as a result of which its construction cost rose from the initial estimate of Rs 13.88 crore to Rs 389 crore, the dam is equipped with 12 high-capacity water pumps which if started simultaneously, can release 260 cusecs of water per second into the canal.

However, on Tuesday, as officials started five of the 12 pumps in order to fill the canal and prepare it for the grand launch scheduled for a day later, one side of the dam’s embankment collapsed completely soon after water from the river Ganga crashed into its walls. The water gushed into the adjoining Kahalgaon village, and the NTPC township which is part of a thermal power project. Local media reports said the homes of the civil judge and sub-judge of Kahalgaon were also inundated.

While officials in the water resources department claimed that an inquiry had been ordered in the matter and called the cave-in a “collective responsibility”, the state’s principal opposition party, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) went on the offensive against the Kumar 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Asaduddin Owaisi offers Opposition alliance in UP, sets October 2 deadline

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi offered an alliance to Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly election and set October 2 as a deadline for a response.

Published

1 hour ago

September 21, 2026

APNLive Desk

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has offered to join hands with Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly election, saying his party is willing to work with those seeking to prevent the BJP from returning to power in the state.

Speaking at a public rally in Kanpur, Owaisi said the AIMIM would wait until October 2 for a response from Opposition parties before announcing any possible political alliance.

At the rally held at the Babupurwa Idgah ground in Kanpur’s cantonment area, Owaisi said the AIMIM did not want the BJP to form the government in Uttar Pradesh for a third time.

He invited parties seeking to prevent the BJP from returning to power to join hands with the AIMIM.

Owaisi targets Samajwadi Party

While making the alliance offer, Owaisi also criticised the Samajwadi Party and its chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Referring to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, Owaisi questioned the record of the Samajwadi Party government during that period. He said around 50,000 people were displaced from their homes and villages during the riots.

Owaisi also alleged that political parties, including the Samajwadi Party, had failed to adequately address the social, economic and educational concerns of Muslims and had not provided sufficient political representation.

He said Muslims in Uttar Pradesh needed a political voice and urged voters to strengthen the AIMIM’s presence in the state Assembly.

AIMIM’s earlier alliance offer in Bihar

Owaisi also referred to the AIMIM’s earlier alliance proposal in Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls.

According to Owaisi, his party had offered to contest six seats as part of an alliance, but the proposal was not accepted. He alleged that “false allegations” were subsequently made against the AIMIM.

Opposition parties have previously accused Owaisi and the AIMIM of benefiting the BJP by dividing Muslim votes. Owaisi has rejected those allegations and has accused Opposition parties of fielding candidates who are unacceptable to minorities.

The latest alliance proposal comes ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, with Owaisi setting October 2 as the date by which he expects a response from Opposition parties.

India News

AAP takes Punjab report card door-to-door after BJP’s anti-drug yatra

AAP has taken its Punjab government report card door-to-door as the BJP conducts a statewide anti-drug yatra ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.

Published

2 hours ago

September 21, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Aam Aadmi Party has taken its Punjab government report card directly to households as the BJP steps up its statewide campaign against drugs ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann began the door-to-door outreach from Dhuri, his Assembly constituency.

The move comes after the BJP launched its “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra”, which is focused on the drug menace, law and order and corruption. The BJP’s yatra is planned to cover all 117 Assembly constituencies before concluding in Jalandhar.

AAP is using its “Yudh Nashean Virudh” campaign and the Mann government’s wider governance record as the focus of its grassroots outreach.

AAP’s anti-drug strategy

The Punjab government is highlighting a five-point approach covering police enforcement, prevention in schools, youth engagement, community vigilance and rehabilitation.

According to government figures cited in the report, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force registered 61,824 FIRs and arrested 81,433 people between March 2025 and September 2026.

The government said the seizures during this period included 3,918 kg of heroin, 991 kg of opium, 47 tonnes of poppy husk, 1,416 kg of ganja and 65 lakh tablets and capsules.

In schools, a 14-week anti-drug curriculum is being taught to around 7.5 lakh students across 3,600 schools. The government is also promoting sports, cultural activities, mental-health clubs and other youth programmes.

Village vigilance and rehabilitation

The government said around 1.25 lakh people have joined nearly 15,000 Village and Ward Defence Committees.

It also said more than 51,000 citizen tip-offs received through the Safe Punjab WhatsApp Helpline have contributed to over 25,000 drug-related arrests.

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Admissions to government de-addiction and rehabilitation centres rose from more than 12,200 in 2024 to nearly 34,000 in 2025, the report said.

BJP’s anti-drug campaign

The BJP’s “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra” has placed the drug issue at the centre of its political outreach in the state. The campaign is also raising concerns related to law and order and corruption and is planned across all 117 Assembly constituencies.

AAP’s response is to take its own record directly to voters, with the party highlighting action against drugs alongside welfare and development initiatives.

The door-to-door campaign comes as political parties begin intensifying their grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election.

India News

Ram Temple Donation Theft: 105 instances caught on CCTV, SIT tells Supreme Court

The SIT probing the alleged Ram Temple donation theft told the Supreme Court that 105 instances were identified through CCTV footage. The investigation is nearing completion.

Published

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September 21, 2026

APNLive Desk

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged donation theft at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has identified 105 instances through CCTV footage, the Supreme Court was informed on Monday.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while referring to the SIT’s status report, presented details of the investigation before the top court. The probe is nearing completion and the chargesheet is expected to be filed by September 25.

The Supreme Court reviewed the SIT’s status report during the hearing of the case and took the information presented before it on record.

What the SIT report found

According to the status report, investigators examined CCTV footage along with witness statements and other evidence to identify those allegedly involved in the donation theft.

The report specifically identified 105 incidents of donation theft through CCTV footage.

The court was also informed about the arrests made in the case and the evidence collected during the investigation.

The report further stated that receipts for valuables received as donations are generated through software, while the valuables are kept in a State Bank of India locker.

Supreme Court declines plea for SIT report copy

During the hearing, the petitioners sought a copy of the SIT report. The Supreme Court declined the request, with the bench headed by the Chief Justice saying it did not want to take the matter out of the Sessions Judge’s hands.

The court said it would pass an order if it considered further investigation necessary.

Eight accused arrested

The FIR in the case names eight people — Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu — along with other unidentified individuals.

According to the report, all eight named accused have been arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

SIT probe and changes at Ram Mandir Trust

The three-member SIT, headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government on June 13 at the request of the Ram Mandir Trust.

The panel submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23 and made several recommendations.

Following the donation theft controversy, top Ram Mandir Trust officials Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were removed from their posts. A CEO-led administrative structure has since been introduced, with former military officer Jitendra Mishra appointed as CEO.

The SIT investigation is now nearing completion, with the chargesheet scheduled to be filed by September 25.