Make public expenditure incurred on treatment of Vajpayee: CIC

June 9, 2013

New Delhi, Jun 9: The Central Information Commission has directed the Health Ministry to make public expenses incurred on the treatment of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee within 15 days.

Atal-Bihari-Vajpayee

While hearing a petition of an RTI applicant who sought details of funds spent on treatment of the 88-year-old ailing BJP leader, Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra said the cost incurred on the medical treatment of the former Prime Minister should be available with the Health Ministry.

Slamming the Ministry for repeatedly transferring the RTI application, the Commissioner said, "we find it surprising that the Ministry did not take pains to locate the information and provide to the appellant and, instead, shuttled around the RTI application from division to another."

Mishra directed the Ministry to "find out information wherever available" and provide it to Moradabad-based RTI applicant who sought the details from the PMO.

His plea was repeatedly transferred to various departments after which he approached the Commission seeking disclosure of the information.

Earlier also, the then Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah had justified disclosure of expenses incurred on the treatment of VIPs saying the funds are given from the state exchequer, hence, should be disclosed.

"Insofar as expenses are concerned, this is indeed information that can be disclosed since the expenses made from the public exchequer are accountable," Habibullah had said.

Vajpayee held the post of Prime Minister on three occasions--in 1996 for 13 days, between 1998-99 for 13 months and between 1999 to 2004 for a complete term. He had undergone a number of treatments including a knee-replacement surgery.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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