ADB approves $800 million loan for new metro rail in Bengaluru, primary health care in urban India

Agencies
December 8, 2020

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Manila, Dec 8: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 500 million loan to construct new metro rail lines in Bengaluru and another USD 300 million to strengthen primary health care in urban areas across the country.

Bengaluru has attracted people from other areas seeking employment and its population is estimated to reach over 16 million by 2030. The Bengaluru Metro Rail Project will establish two new metro rail corridors to augment an efficient and safe transportation system.

"This will enhance the economy, improve the urban environment and make the city more livable. The project supports urban transformation of Bengaluru city through a multidimensional approach of urban public transport and urban development," said ADB Senior Transport Specialist for South Asia Kaoru Kasahara.

"The new metro lines will ease daily travel of commuters and decongest traffic across the city, contributing to overall productivity," he said in a statement on Tuesday. "The project will provide efficient, punctual and safe transportation in the city and promote a clean urban environment."

The project will construct two new metro lines, mostly elevated, with a total length of 56 km along Outer Ring Road and National Highway 44 between Central Silk Board and Kempegowda International Airport.

It will also establish 30 metro stations, which will include multimodal facilities such as bus bays, taxi stand, motorcycle pools and pedestrian walkways and bridges. The needs of vulnerable groups like the elderly, women, children and differently-abled persons will be integrated in the design of the facilities.

An additional USD 2 million technical assistance grant from ADB will help the state government formulate urban development plans and their implementing frameworks, focusing on transit-oriented development and multimodal integration.

This will also strengthen the capacity of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd and other state agencies to implement transit-oriented development and multi-modal integration.

In another announcement, the ADB said onset of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has put pressure and revealed weaknesses in India's health care system. In response, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY) to strengthen public health systems and respond to future pandemics and other emergencies.

The ADB's Strengthening Comprehensive Primary Health Care in Urban Areas Programme will support the Ayushman Bharat (the Healthy India Initiative) Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) and PM-ASBY to ensure equitable access to quality comprehensive primary health care services in urban areas in 13 states.

The programme will benefit an estimated 256 million urban residents, including 51 million from the slum areas of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.

"India has made impressive gains in ensuring access to and quality of health services for all. However, COVID-19 has shown us that challenges remain and we need to do more and address these issues," said ADB Principal Social Sector Specialist for South Asia Gi Soon Song.

"This programme aims to meet not only the medical needs of urban population but also the physical and mental health and well-being of target beneficiaries."

The programme will strengthen the institutional capacity, operation and management of urban health and wellness centres at the central, state and municipal levels. It aims to address the ongoing COVID-19 challenges while ensuring continuous provision of non-COVID-19 health services.

It will conduct awareness and education campaigns on health and nutrition, including preventive measures and strategies. Delivery and health information systems for primary health care will be upgraded through digital tools, quality assurance mechanisms and engagement and partnership with the private sector.

In addition to the loan, a USD 2 million technical assistance grant from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will provide technical support for programme implementation and coordination, capacity building, innovation and application of new knowledge to the health care system.

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News Network
May 18,2024

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In a fresh claim, arrested BJP leader and advocate G Devaraje Gowda has alleged that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and four other ministers were behind exposing Prajwal Revanna’s sex scam that has brought disgrace to Janata Dal (Secular) H D Deve Gowda family. 

Devaraje Gowda has been arrested in a sexual abuse case. 

Speaking to reporters while being taken to the district prisons, in Hassan on Friday, Gowda alleged that he was offered Rs 100 crore to drag the name of H D Kumaraswamy in the Prajwal’s case. 

“D K Shivakumar had offered me Rs 100 crore to project that H D Kumaraswamy was behind the case. The offer was made through ministers N Chaluvarayaswamy, Krishna Byre Gowda, Priyank Kharge and another minister. They had even sent Rs 5 crore as advance to Bowring Club. But I did not agree. Hence, they hatched a plot to trap me,” Gowda alleged.

“It is D K Shivakumar, who collected all information from Prajwal Revanna’s former car driver Karthik and readied the pen drive. A team of four ministers were formed to handle the issue. As I did not agree to the plan. They planned to bring disrepute to the BJP, Narendra Modi and H D Kumaraswamy,” he said.

Gowda further alleged that former MLC M A Gopalaswamy of Channarayapatna was sent to him for negotiation.

“The main intention of D K Shivakumar is to bring disrepute to Modi and BJP in the case. Besides, he wanted to defame H D Kumaraswamy’s leadership in the state” he claimed. “They filed a sexual harassment and rape case against me, but found no evidence. Now, they are trying to fix me in the pen drive case” he alleged.

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News Network
May 4,2024

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Mangaluru, May 4: A tragic incident unfurled last evening in Subrahmanya of Kadaba taluk in Dakshina Kananda, where a young gentleman, who had recently entered the bonds of matrimony a mere ten days hence, met his untimely demise due to a lightning strike.

As twilight descended, a tempestuous thunderstorm, accompanied by billowing rain clouds, cast its shadow over the locale.

Somasundar was diligently engaged in the task of piling up dried nuts in the yard to shield them from the impending deluge, when fate cruelly intervened, subjecting him to the fatal force of a lightning bolt.

Despite the expeditious efforts to convey him to Kadaba Community Hospital subsequent to his sudden indisposition, he tragically succumbed to his injuries. 

Somasundar, who operated a car washing enterprise in proximity to Subrahmanya, is mourned by his mother, sister, and wife.

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News Network
May 17,2024

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New Delhi: In fresh claim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his government sent an envoy to Israel urging them to stop the airstrike in Gaza during Ramadan. He said that he urged Israel to maintain peace rather than engage in combat during the holy month.

In an interview with Aaj Tak, PM Modi said that his envoy told Israel they should not bomb Gaza, at least during the auspicious month of Ramadan.

"During the month of Ramadan, I sent my special envoy to Israel to meet and explain to Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) that he should not carry out bombings in Gaza during Ramadan. They made every effort to follow it, but in the end, there was a fight for 2-3 days," he said.

The Prime Minister said that he does not publicise such things even though people in India keep "cornering him on the Muslims issue".

PM Modi said that some other countries also tried to speak to Israel to halt the bombings and may have also achieved results.

"They may have got the results too. I also tried," he said.

During the interview, PM Modi also said that he made standalone visits to both Israel and Palestine, unlike earlier governments which used to display token secularism.

"There was a fashion earlier that if one has to go to Israel, a visit to Palestine is a must. Do secularism and come back. But I refused to do it," he said.

The Prime Minister also recounted an episode when he needed to travel to Palestine via Jordan.

"When the President of Jordan, who is a direct descendent of Prophet Muhammad, came to know that I am going to Palestine over (the airspace of Jordan), he told me 'Modi ji, you cannot go like this. You are my guest and will use my helicopter'," Modi claimed.

Describing the unique amalgamation of circumstances, he continued, "I went to his home for dinner, but the helicopter was of Jordan, the destination was Palestine, and I was escorted by Israeli flight attendants. All three are different but for Modi, all came together in the sky."

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