Kolkata, Oct 14: As the Mamata Banerjee government has taken a decision to create a special relief fund seeking public donations for flood and landslide-affected North Bengal, the BJP on Tuesday questioned the motive.

The last time the state government created such a relief fund was during the Covid-19 pandemic period in 2020. Under the fresh relief fund, the state government had kept the option open for utilising the proceeds for spending in the event of a future disaster in any corner of the state and not just for North Bengal.

The decision to create the North Bengal relief fund has prompted questions on the condition of the state exchequer in West Bengal, where the state government is “forced” to seek public donations for even emergency services. Former BJP state president in West Bengal and Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, on Tuesday, questioned the justification for creating the fund without being clear on how the Central share in the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) during the last five years was used.

“The Central share in the SDRF during the last five years, from 2020 to 2025, amounts to around Rs 5,000 crore. The Union government funds contribute a 75 per cent share in the SFRF, which amounts to Rs 5,000 crore during the last five years. Where has that money gone?” Majumdar raised the question while speaking to media persons before leaving for New Delhi in the morning.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, last week, while touring the flood and landslide-affected areas in North Bengal, repeatedly claimed that the Union government did not provide support for rescue and rehabilitation efforts after the floods.

Refuting the claims, BJP’s Information Technology Cell Chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, said that the claims by the Chief Minister were untrue since the Union government has been actively coordinating relief operations, providing financial assistance, and deploying teams for rescue and restoration. The West Bengal administration is missing in action, he said.

“Instead of playing politics over people’s suffering, Mamata Banerjee should focus on governance, not grievance,” Malviya said last week.

Mumbai: Raising serious safety concerns for commuters, miscreants—reportedly minors—pelted stones at two express trains on the Kalyan–Karjat route on Monday. The first incident occurred on the Koyna Express near Ambernath railway station, while the Sainagar Shirdi Express was attacked near Vangani.

Railway officials said that when the Mumbai-bound Sainagar Shirdi Express reached near Ambernath station, miscreants threw stones at the S1 coach, shattering the window glass. When the train arrived at Dadar station, the Badlapur RPF was informed, and a case has been registered.

The Koyna Express, travelling towards CSMT, was also targeted near Vangani at around 10.30 am. A passenger sustained an eye injury after being hit by a stone and was immediately given first aid at the next station, the report stated.

Stone-pelting incidents have seen a sharp rise across Mumbai’s suburban railway network, sparking serious safety concerns among daily commuters. Despite multiple safety measures by Indian Railways, including the installation of iron grills on windows, the menace continues unabated.

Just last month, three women sustained injuries in separate stone-pelting incidents on the Harbour Line.

On September 26, 28-year-old Shivani suffered a head injury when a stone hit her on a CSMT–Goregaon slow local near Reay Road station. Earlier, on September 18, 39-year-old Anuradha Sav sustained an eye injury near Wadala, while on September 15, a 21-year-old woman was struck in the face between Cotton Green and Reay Road stations.

Officials from Central Railway said nearly 30 stone-pelting cases are reported every year across the Mumbai division. The number of such cases is comparatively lower on Western Railway’s Mumbai Central division.

On the Western Railway, incidents are often reported from Mahim, Bandra, Kandivali, and areas beyond Virar. On the Harbour Line, cases have been registered between Dockyard Road and Mankhurd, while on the main line, areas such as Kalwa, Mumbra, Diva, and those beyond Kalyan have witnessed frequent stone-pelting attacks.

New Delhi, Oct 14: The Ministry of Jal Shakti on Tuesday announced an Internship Programme that allows short term exposure to “selected candidates” to be associated with its media/social media activities, along with a Rs 15,000 per month honorarium, an official said.

Under the programme, the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD and GR) seeks to engage students pursuing Graduate or Post Graduate Degrees or are Research Scholars enrolled in recognised University/Institution in the field of Mass Communication as interns.

An honorarium of Rs 15,000 per month and a certificate of internship will be given to the selected candidates on the successful completion of the internship programme, said the official in a statement.

The last date to apply for the six to nine month internship programme is November 24. Those interested in applying for the internship can apply through the online form, which is accessible at it said.

Students, who have completed their graduation in mass communication or Journalism or related fields, or students who are pursuing their PG or Diploma (subject to completion of graduation in mass communication or related field) in the aforesaid fields or MBA (Marketing) from any recognised college/university are eligible subject to conditions as mentioned in the guidelines.

Last week, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, culminated weeks of intensive deliberations on strengthening service delivery and sustainability at the grassroots with a demonstration of the upgraded Rural Piped Water Supply Schemes (RPWSS) module – a major stride towards digital transformation in rural water governance.

DDWS Secretary Ashok K. K. Meena stated that the new RPWSS module will serve as a cornerstone of transparency, accountability, and efficiency under Jal Jeevan Mission.

He said that RPWSS will act as a Digital Registry for Rural Piped Water Supply Schemes (RPWSS) and rollout of unique RPWSS IDs – a step towards smarter and efficient operation and maintenance of rural water infrastructure.

He described the RPWSS ID as a unique digital identity tag for every piped water supply scheme — enabling transparency, traceability, geo-tagged data for effective monitoring, operation and maintenance and data-driven governance.

He urged all States and UTs to prioritise and complete the creation of RPWSS IDs by November 2025, ensuring full data integrity and coverage.