Hyderabad, Aug 23: A town planning officer has been suspended after a 7-storey under-construction building collapsed in Hyderabad Madhapur, killing two people and injuring some others.

The building collapsed on Saturday. Cyberabad Municipal Commissioner G. Srijana issued orders on Sunday suspending Madhapur Town Planning Officer Santosh Kumar.

The Commissioner cracked the whip as the official failed to stop illegal construction, resulting in the loss of lives. Further action will be taken against the town planning officer following a detailed inquiry.

She directed the town planning department to immediately take steps to identify unauthorised constructions and take action.

Officials have been directed to demolish structures constructed without permission or violating the rules, endangering public safety.

An under-construction building collapsed in Anjaiah Nagar on Saturday afternoon, killing two people and injuring some others.

The victims were identified by police as Mahabat and Umesh, both from Madhya Pradesh. They had come to the site for tile-related work and were inside the building when it collapsed.

Rescue teams from police, fire services, Disaster Response Force and Cyberabad Municipal Corporation continued clearing debris for the second day on Sunday.

Officials are continuing to assess the structural damage to neighbouring buildings.

Meanwhile, Cyberabad police have registered a criminal case against building owners Farheen Siddiqi and Sajid.

On a complaint by the Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC), a case has been registered at Raidurgam Police Station of Cyberabad Police Commissionerate.

The accused allegedly took up construction of the 7-storey building on 48 square yards without permission from CMC. They owned only 38 square yards and allegedly encroached 10 square yards of an adjoining drain to construct the building.

In another development, Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has reportedly identified 10 unauthorised constructions in the same area and initiated steps to demolish them.

HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath said on Saturday that many buildings in Anjaiah Nagar have been constructed without permission.

Locals said that all the buildings constructed by builder Sajid were like this. The HYDRAA Commissioner said that in a few days, all these buildings will be inspected and appropriate action taken.

Chennai, Aug 23: The ruling TVK is preparing an extensive strategy for the anticipated bypolls to seven vacant Assembly constituencies, with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay signalling that alleged corruption files concerning the previous government could be made public during the campaign.

Seven of Tamil Nadu’s 234 Assembly constituencies — Tiruchi East, Perundurai, Madurantakam, Dharapuram, Ambasamudram, Karur and Viralimalai — are currently vacant. Byelections could not be held in Tiruchi East, Karur, Viralimalai, Perundurai and Ambasamudram because election petitions challenging the results in these constituencies are pending.

The Madras High Court’s stay preventing byelections in the five seats is expected to expire on August 24. The Election Commission is therefore expected to initiate the process of holding byelections in all seven vacant constituencies shortly.

Victory in the byelections is crucial for the TVK, which formed the government after the recent Assembly election without securing an absolute majority on its own. The party won 107 seats, falling 11 short of the 118 required for a majority in the 234-member House. It formed the government with support from Congress, which has five MLAs, and two legislators each from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Nadu Party, CPI, CPI(M) and Indian Union Muslim League.

Although the Congress party and two other allies are represented in the Cabinet and are unlikely to withdraw their support, the two Communist parties could reconsider their position if differences emerge over issues affecting the public.

Such a development could place the government under pressure. If the TVK wins all seven vacant seats, its strength will increase to 114, leaving it only four seats short of a majority.

The continued support from Congress or a combination of smaller allies would then ensure the government’s stability for its full term.

CM Vijay indicated the government’s campaign strategy during the Assembly session on August 19 when the Opposition demanded documentary evidence for allegations raised by Ministers.

The Chief Minister said the government possessed evidence relating to several sectors and that the relevant files were on his table. “I did not want to say this, but they are asking for evidence. Everything is on my table with proof,” CM Vijay said.

He added that the files would be opened “at the appropriate time”, before hinting that the disclosures could influence the forthcoming byelections.

New Delhi, Aug 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently interacted with CEOs and founders of 20 Indian space startups at Seva Teerth and praised the country’s rise in the private space sector, while calling for greater collaboration to position India as a global hub for space technology.

During the interaction, he encouraged space companies to explore new applications of their technologies and focus on how these can make people’s lives easier.

The interaction, held on Friday, brought together leaders of startups working across a wide range of areas, including rocket and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicle development, avionics, satellites, advanced propulsion systems, space and defence intelligence, space debris removal, and AI-powered hyperlocal weather and climate intelligence.

The startup founders highlighted the rapid progress made by India’s private space sector and shared their vision for its future.

They said their companies had invested significant time and effort in developing capabilities and technologies indigenously, while expressing gratitude for the support extended by the Prime Minister and the government.

In the video of the interaction, released on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi can be heard expressing gratitude to the startups for placing their trust in the Central government.

“The biggest thing is that you placed your trust in the word of the government. It has always been my view that whatever decision we take, we must remain consistent in it, so that even if someone wants to take a risk they do that without fear,” PM Modi said.

Interacting with the CEOs, the Prime Minister said, “The world must now be searching for Indian startups, wondering, ‘Who are the players in this?’ Because whenever a breakthrough occurs, people’s attention turns to it immediately.”

“We need to bring more people together. People who had gone abroad are now returning. I believe we should create such an aura that across the world, people in this sector feel, ‘If you want to build a career, go to India.’ Connect with Indian startups. Connect with Indian space agencies. I firmly believe that because of you all, we can pull the entire global talent pool like a magnet,” he mentioned.

PM Modi said that in terms of cost, India is “highly competitive”.

“When it comes to talent, there is no question at all. And the risk-taking capacity of our countrymen is naturally quite high. Because of that, we can establish our position very rapidly,” he said.

The founders recalled that the decision to open the space sector to private participation had generated significant enthusiasm and created new opportunities for Indian industry. They also noted that several companies are now showing interest in adopting and leveraging technologies developed by the emerging private space industry.

The industry leaders also underlined the strong ecosystem being created through government support and collaboration among companies. They said their teams were highly motivated and working with determination to achieve ambitious goals in the space sector.

PM Modi also encouraged space companies to explore new applications of their technologies and focus on developing solutions that can make people’s lives easier. The Prime Minister called for greater collaboration between space startups and companies operating in other sectors.

The Prime Minister suggested that companies working on space debris could collaborate with environmental organisations to expand the use of their technologies. Similarly, space technology companies working in agriculture could partner with agricultural universities and government departments to help farmers make better-informed decisions and improve productivity.