Call for Bharat Ratna for Annabhau Sathe, Rail Safety and Environmental Concerns Raised in Lok Sabha

In the Lok Sabha, a demand was made for Bharat Ratna to Annabhau Sathe, acknowledging his contribution to literature and folk arts. Other issues discussed included railway safety, forest fires, Dharavi redevelopment's environmental impact, disposal of toxic waste in Bhopal, telecom service quality, and soil erosion in Assam.

The Lok Sabha session on Tuesday saw strong demands for awarding the Bharat Ratna to noted litterateur Annabhau Sathe. Congress member Varsha Gaikwad highlighted Sathe's extensive contributions to folk arts and literature, which include 35 novels and various other works, amplifying Dalit and working-class experiences.

Railway safety came under scrutiny as Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay expressed concerns over frequent accidents, citing a recent derailment of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail in Jharkhand. He stressed the importance of prioritizing safety in the railways.

Environmental issues were also raised, with BJP's Ajay Bhatt demanding special grants for firefighting in Uttarakhand, and Shiv Sena-UBT's Sanjay Dina Patil urging the government to prevent the diversion of wetlands for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. Additionally, BJP MP Alok Sharma called for the expedited disposal of toxic waste from Bhopal's Union Carbide plant.

Regarding telecommunications, Shiv Sena-UBT member Arvind Sawant questioned the government's spending on BSNL and MTNL. Congress member Rakibul Hussain highlighted severe soil erosion along the Brahmaputra in Assam, causing thousands of acres of land to disappear overnight.

(With inputs from agencies.)