Govt to send 1,000 pourakarmikas abroad to study manhole cleaning

DHNS

June 25, 2017

Bengaluru, Jun 25: The state government is sending 1,000 pourakarmikas on a study tour to Singapore. Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya told reporters they would study mechanised cleaning of manholes.

The department has earmarked Rs 10 crore for the purpose. The first group of 70 will leave for Singapore in July. The department will bear the full cost of the tour. Manual cleaning of manholes is banned in India, but many contractors violate the law and get workers to clean them. Three workers who descended into a manhole were choked to death in Bengaluru last month.

The municipal authorities have bought machines to clean manholes in many cities and towns, but poura¬karmikas are not properly trained to use them.

That is the reason the government is sending them to Singapore, where the cleaning is completely mechanised, he said.

Workers selected from across districts will also learn safety measures. They will be accompanied by department officials.

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‘Profit’ trap: Mangaluru trader duped of ₹33.1 lakh in online App scam

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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