Mumbai, July 29 (IANS) Dr. Snehalata Shamrao Deshmukh, a renowned paediatrician and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai, passed away aged 86 at her home here on Monday morning, varsity officials said.

An ex-Dean of the BMC’s Lokmanya Tilak Medical College & General Hospital, Deshmukh served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai from 1995-2000.

A renowned paediatric surgeon, she pioneered and co-founded the neo-natal department of the BMC’s KEM Hospital and also functioned as a Governing Council Member of the Tata Memorial Centre under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.

Born in December 1938 in Ahmednagar, Deshmukh was educated at the Indian Education Society (IES) School in Dadar, later graduated from the Ruia College and topped in her MBBS degree from the GS Medical College (KEM Hospital), and further MS qualifications from there.

In 1990, she joined the Sion Hospital – where her father had earlier served as Medical Superintendent – and took a series of initiatives for the welfare of the patients and the medical fraternity and society, said her former medical student Dr. Niranjan Chavan, now a professor of gynaecology in the same institution.

She was instrumental in founding the Research Society there, a ‘breastmilk bank’ for women who couldn’t breastfeed their infants.

One major social campaign she spearheaded was that many newborn babies from the adjoining Dharavi slum areas had complaints of benign tumour growth on their backs.

Deshmukh spearheaded a study with her medical team which proved that it was due to lack of folic acid in the mothers’ body, after which the BMC distributed folic acid tablets to pregnant women in Asia’s biggest slum which largely controlled the problem.

Her last rites were performed at the Vile Parle crematorium this afternoon in the presence of a large crowd of mourners, her ex-students, medical colleagues, academicians and civic body representatives.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) BJP MP from Delhi, Bansuri Swaraj, on Monday, raised the Old Rajinder Nagar incident, where three UPSC aspirants lost their lives due to flooding in the coaching centre’s basement and labelled it as the Delhi government’s “criminal negligence.”

Describing the incident as “heartwrenching,” Bansuri Swaraj mentioned that water from drains flooded the basement of a coaching centre, claiming the lives of three students.

The BJP MP said, “These students came from Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala to Delhi to prepare for the IAS examination and to brighten their future. But with sadness, I have to say that they lost their lives because of the negligence, or I would say criminal negligence, of the Delhi government.”

Labelling the death of these three students as “utter and absolute apathy of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP),” the first-time parliamentarian said, “The criminal negligence of the ruling dispensation of the AAP in Delhi has caused the death of these three students.”

“For the past decade, the AAP has been in power in Delhi but is not working for the people of Delhi. In the last two years, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Jal Board and cleanliness of the drainage systems are under the jurisdiction of the AAP government, but they neither upgraded nor de-silted the drains,” she added.

The Lok Sabha MP also mentioned that local residents had repeatedly complained to the local legislator, councillor, and administrative officers on July 22 and July 24, but their concerns were not addressed. “The MLA was joking about it but did not take any action,” she asserted.

Concluding her speech, Bansuri Swaraj called for the Home Ministry to look into the negligence of the Delhi government.

“I urge the Home Ministry to form an investigative committee which will look into the Delhi government, which solely focuses on publicity and corruption, to launch an enquiry on why the drains in the national capital are not cleaned and why the Delhi Jal Board is in such a bad condition,” she said.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, July 29 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday spoke over-phone to the athletes from the state participating in the Paris Olympics 2024 and congratulated them on their success in the first round of their respective events.

The Chief Minister spoke to boxer Nikhat Zareen, table tennis player Sreeja Akula and badminton star P. V. Sindhu and congratulated them on their best performance.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, he also spoke to shooter Esha Singh preparing for her event and wished her the best.

The Chief Minister wished that all the athletes from the state continue the same performance in the next rounds and bring laurels to the country.

Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen entered the women’s 50 kg category quarterfinals by defeating Germany’s Maxi Carina Kloetzer on Sunday.

India’s top-ranked table tennis player Sreeja Akula entered the round of 32 with a 4-0 win over Sweden’s Christina Kallberg.

Star shuttler and two-time Olympic medallist began her Paris Olympics campaign with a win over Maldives’ Fathimath Abdul Razzaq.

Earlier, the Chief Minister congratulated shooter Manu Bhaker on winning a historic bronze for India in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the Paris Olympics. She became the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal at the Olympics.

“We are proud of your achievement,” the Chief Minister said.

–IANS

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Mysuru (Karnataka), July 29 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was “lying” about budgetary allocations to Karnataka.

“Nirmala Sitharaman, who had come to Karnataka earlier, lied and left. Now, she is lying again,” the CM stated.

Finance Minister Sitharaman on Sunday rejected the allegations of the Congress government that the Centre gave a rough deal to the state in the Union Budget 2024-25, terming them as “false”. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, FM Sitharaman presented figures to prove that Karnataka has been given its due in terms of allocation of funds.

She also said the state was suffering higher inflation than the national average under the current Congress government and the law and order situation was driving away companies out of the state.

Rejecting the statements, CM Siddaramaiah said in a media interaction in Mysuru, “She (Nirmala Sitharaman) claims that the state has been allocated more funds. However, the state that faced injustice in the 15th Finance Commission is Karnataka. She represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha. She has claimed that industries are leaving. The truth is that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) coming into India has decreased by 31 per cent. This is due to their policies and programmes. It is Nirmala Sitharaman who frames these policies. Who is the Union Minister for Finance?” CM Siddaramaiah questioned.

When asked about the state’s contributions to Central schemes, he responded, “In terms of tax payments, Karnataka is second only to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the 2023-24 Union budget that a Rs 5,300 crore grant would be released for the Upper Bhadra project. Then CM Basavaraj Bommai also reiterated it in his budget. Did they release it?” CM Siddaramaiah asked.

“We boycotted the NITI Aayog meeting for the same reason. The meeting was not attended by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and other governments opposed to the BJP. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee attended but also walked out. Now, they want to teach us?” CM Siddaramaiah said.

“They claim that we have borrowed more loans. We have availed loans within the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The loans should be within 25 per cent of the state’s GDP. The Central government borrowed Rs 15 lakh crore loans,” he pointed out.

“Karnataka is not corrupt. Since we came to power, we have been fighting against corruption. Hence, during our government’s tenure, corruption has decreased. I will ask Ministers M.B. Patil and Priyank Kharge to give a detailed response to Nirmala Sitharaman’s allegations,” he stated.

“The Central government had called a budget meeting, and we reminded them that they had declared Rs 5,300 crore would be given for the Upper Bhadra project. They should release the funds to us. They did not allocate the funds,” the CM stated.

“Under the 15th Finance Commission recommendation, Rs 5,409 crore special grants for the state and Rs 3,000 crore was promised for the peripheral ring road. Is it in the Budget? Rs 3,000 crore was promised for the development of water bodies. Did they give it? Is this not injustice?” CM Siddaramaiah said.

“They allocated funds for Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. What has been given to Karnataka? Union Ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and Nirmala Sitharaman claim that no injustice has been done to Karnataka. They could have proposed more grants in the interest of the state, but they did nothing. They could have got permission for the Mekedatu project. They are elected from Karnataka, but they did nothing,” he stated.

“Has Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy brought any new industry to his Mandya Parliamentary constituency? Is any industry corridor given to Karnataka? No. They have not been granted the money demanded by the state. There is no Mekedatu project for us. We asked for AIIMS in Raichur; there was no discussion. We asked for an IIT in Mysuru or Hassan. Have they granted it? What have they given us? How can they claim that no injustice has been done to Karnataka?” CM Siddaramaiah lashed out.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, July 29 (IANS) Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Monday countered the charges of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, saying that no company has left the state due to the deteriorating law and order situation.

Addressing the media, Parameshwara stated, “The companies that come here always have one or two other options ready. They will consider Karnataka, Chennai, and Maharashtra and decide where to set up based on factors like tax structure, power priority, and availability of free land. They make their decisions based on these parameters.”

“No company has informed the government to date that they are moving out of the state,” he added.

“Allegations by the central government are not correct. Bengaluru city is the pride of the nation. The notion that Bengaluru’s progress could be halted because it is in Karnataka is not a positive development. Bengaluru is a prestigious city in the country. It is a global city and should be developed on the lines of Mumbai and New Delhi,” Parameshwara maintained.

When asked about boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting, he said, “If we had participated, we would have also walked out of the NITI Aayog meeting like West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. The question is how you deal with the states. The Constitution facilitates a federal structure.”

On Nirmala Sitharaman’s claims that Karnataka has not been treated unfairly in budget allocations and has received more funds during the NDA’s tenure, Parameshwara stated, “There is no meaning in comparing the UPA and NDA budgets without considering the total size of the budget.”

“The BJP allocated Rs 15,000 crore to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. On what basis was this allocation made? We don’t object to the Centre making allocations as those states should also progress, but there should be a criterion,” he said.

“Development should take place equally. For Orissa, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, Rs 15,000 crore, Rs 26,000 crore, and Rs 11,000 crore were allotted respectively. On what basis were these allocations made? Karnataka has been shown a step-motherly attitude from the beginning, and that is what we are claiming,” Parameshwara stated.

“We reached New Delhi to demand fair allocations for the state, informing the central government that we are paying higher taxes and receiving less money. Even after all this, you deliver injustice to the state,” he slammed.

“They should have granted Rs 10,000 crore for Karnataka. They had announced that the Bhadra project would be declared a national project, but they did not do it. A grant of Rs 5,300 crore was declared for irrigation in that project, but it was not provided. The legitimate grants were not given at the appropriate time,” Parameshwara claimed.

“There is flooding in the state now. We had asked for Rs 12,000 crore for incurred losses up to Rs 36,000 crore during the drought. Later, they released about Rs 3,624 crore,” he further said.

Nirmala Sitharaman had said on Sunday that Karnataka was suffering higher inflation than the national average under the current Congress government, and the law and order situation was driving away companies out of the state.

–IANS

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