Thousands of litres used at UP CM's helipad in drought-hit area

April 20, 2016

Lalitpur (UP), Apr 20: The visit of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav here yesterday has got caught in a controversy as thousands of litres of water was used to ensure a dust-free makeshift helipad at a time when this area of Bundelkhand is witnessing drought.

"Strong action should be taken against those responsible for the massive wastage of scarce water," said leader of local outfit Bundelkhand Vikas Sena Harish Kapur 'Titu' today.
The Chief Minister had visited Lalitpur yesterday to review drought situation and provide relief measures.

Lalitpur is part of the Bundelkhand region, which is half in Uttar Pradesh and half in Madhya Pradesh and is reeling under severe water crisis.

SP Mohammed Imran said the water sprinkled on the helipad was not fit for drinking, justifying the development.

He said there can be no compromise on the issue of CM's security.

This comes amid a controversy over use of 10,000 litres of water for a makeshift helipad at a village in Maharashtra, close to the airport, where Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse landed for reviewing drought situation in parched Latur district.

Khadse had later issued a clarification saying water used for preparing the helipad was waste from filtration plant which could not be recycled for normal use.

During his visit here, Yadav has accused the Centre of turning a blind eye to drought-hit Bundelkhand and said his government would make a separate provision in the budget for the region, if needed.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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