Wayanad landslip LIVE: At least two workers rescued, several feared trapped; NDRF deployed

P. Vishnu Kumar Raju. File Photo | Vishnu Kumar Raju has requested the State Government and Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu to ensure flight operations continue from Visakhapatnam for three hours each in the morning and evening, after the Bhogapuram International Airport becomes operational.Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Mr. Vishnu Kumar urged for flight services to be run in the morning and the night hours on routes such as Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam–Tirupati, Visakhapatnam–Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam–Kurnool, Visakhapatnam–Chennai, and Visakhapatnam–Bengaluru in order to provide hassle-free travel for passengers.Referring to the Rushikonda Palace, constructed by the previous government, he described it as a highly valuable seafront property, which is extremely rare. He said: “The State government and Tourism Department should develop this facility not merely as a five-star hotel but promote it internationally and have it managed by world-renowned hospitality or entertainment organisations.”Responding to the political developments in the State, Mr. Vishnu Kumar criticised the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for frequently changing his stand on the capital city (Amravati). “The Central government has already clarified that Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. If Mr. Jagan Mohan continues to ignore public opinion, the party might not even retain the 11 Assembly seats it secured in the previous elections,” he said.Prior to the press conference, the MLA received representations and complaints from the public as part of the “Dial Your MLA” and “Praja Darbar” (public grievance) programmes. He personally spoke with officials regarding more than 31 public issues and directed them to take immediate remedial measures. He also handed over house keys to 12 beneficiaries from the North Constituency who had received houses through AP TIDCO. Congratulating the beneficiaries on the fulfilment of their dream of owning a home, he wished their families happiness and prosperity. Published - July 06, 2026 08:04 pm IST

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. File. | 30 crore for the scheme.“We are committed to the comprehensive welfare, development of health and educational parameters of our tea garden workers of North Bengal. To ensure expeditious and smooth progress, our State-level committee recently finalised the implementation plan for the ‘Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana’. With a total financial allocation of ₹313.30 crore, we are bringing transformative changes to the lives of our ‘Cha Shramiks,” Mr. Adhikari posted on social media.Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, in the Budget tabled on June 22 had said the West Bengal government would implement the PM Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana in collaboration with the Government of India, and the focus would be on improving the living standards of tea garden workers and their families. The scheme, with a total outlay of ₹1,000 crore, was meant for Assam and West Bengal, the two major tea-producing States.The Central scheme aims to provide more than 10 lakh workers across 1,210 tea gardens in Assam and West Bengal access to better healthcare, education, and resting facilities. Tea Board officials said West Bengal did not implement the scheme for several years, as the State Level Committee (SLC), a prerequisite for implementing the scheme, had not been formed by the erstwhile Trinamool Congress government.Minimum wagesThere are about 250 large tea gardens in the Darjeeling hills and Terai and Dooars and about 10 lakh workers are dependent on these gardens. Other than proper health and education infrastructure, tea garden workers are demanding minimum wages. The wages for tea garden workers are ₹250 per day.The Chief Minister, in his social media post, pointed out that under the PMCSPY, an allocation of ₹177 crore would be made to boost educational infrastructure and quality interventions for the families of tea workers and a ₹72 crore investment to upgrade health facilities and ensure robust medical services in tea-garden areas. Mr. Adhikari added that ₹63 crore would be allocated for building 321 resting sheds (88 in the hills and 233 in the plains).Observing that his government remains steadfast in the prosperity and well-being of tea garden workers, the Chief Minister said that State government’s North Bengal Development Department would be leading this effort as the executing agency and would work closely with the Health Department, Paschim Banga Samagra Siksha Mission and District Administrations to roll out the welfare measures. Published - July 05, 2026 07:56 pm IST

Members of Andhra Pradesh Auto and Motor Workers (AITUC) releasing a poster in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. | As part of the preparations, the organisers released posters for the conference near the Gandhi statue at the GVMC headquarters on Sunday.Addressing the gathering, AITUC State secretary Vanganuru Johnson Babu demanded the constitution of a Welfare Board for auto and motor transport workers, stating that thousands of drivers, including those operating autos, cars, buses, lorries, goods vehicles and earthmoving equipment, face occupational risks without adequate social security.He also urged the State government to withdraw G.O. Nos. 21 and 31, alleging that the orders had resulted in the imposition of heavy traffic fines on transport workers. He further claimed that the Vahana Mitra financial assistance scheme was not reaching all eligible beneficiaries and sought enhanced social security measures for drivers.AITUC State secretary Padala Ramana and several union leaders were present. Published - July 05, 2026 07:24 pm IST