分类： bharat

More than 80 people were killed today due to lightning in various places in Bihar. According to the Bihar government, 83 people were killed in various districts today due to lightning. Another 24 people were killed due to lightning in Uttar Pradesh.

On Thursday evening, the Bihar government revised the death toll in the state due to lightning to 83. The government also released a district-wise breakup of the death toll. The most number of deaths were reported from the Gopalganj district (13). Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has announced a Rs 4 lakh ex gratia each for the families of those killed.

Later at night, the Uttar Pradesh government reported that 24 people were killed in the state due to lightning. The most number of deaths in the state were reported from Deoria. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia each for the next of kin.

According to concerned departments, lightning strikes have left at least 32 and 12 injured in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively. The strikes also caused damage to property and resulted in the deaths of over 40 animals in Bihar alone.

Reacting to the deaths, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and said that the state governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are prompted responding to the situation.

For the first time, diesel has become costlier than petrol in India. The current rate of diesel is Rs 79.88 per litre and petrol Rs. 79.76 per litre in New Delhi, as oil marketing companies on Wednesday, raised pump prices of diesel by 48 paise, while keeping the price of the other fuel unchanged.

For the 18th day in a row, state-run oil companies on Wednesday raised the prices of diesel. A comparison with the global scenario shows that diesel has been the most expensive of auto fuels as the product has a higher cost of production in many foreign countries.

Even in India, the base price of diesel has been higher than petrol. However, diesel has always been cheaper because it is used by farmers along with truck and bus fleets. Thus, to reduce the burden on farmers and transport fleet operators, diesel is priced lower than petrol in India.

Hemlata Dhyani, General Manager, Competent motors, Maruti Suzuki told India Today, “Following the Supreme Court order of prohibition of registration of BS-IV vehicles after May 10, registration of BS-VI vehicles has started taking place. This has had an impact on automakers as many have stopped manufacturing diesel vehicles. Very few companies are making BS-VI standard of diesel cars because it’s costlier.”

“Recent times has seen an attitude change also, people now prefer petrol, electric, CNG or other alternative fuel cars over diesel ones,” Dhyani added.

At present, diesel vehicles account only for 15 per cent of the total automobile market.

However, customers are worried as many feel that the increased prices of fuel will burn a bigger hole in their pockets.

The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’ Affaires Syed Haidar Shah today and asked him to reduce staff at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as India is concerned over their conduct. MEA officials informed Shah that India had repeatedly expressed concern about the activities of officials of his High Commission.

India has asked Pakistan to reduce staff at its High Commission in New Delhi by 50 per cent within seven days. It said it will also be reducing its workforce at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

According to MEA representatives, the staff at the Pakistan High Commission has been “engaged in acts of espionage and maintained dealings with terrorist organizations”.

India pointed out the activities of the two Pakistan visa officials who were caught red-handed and expelled on May 31, 2020, after it emerged that they were spying.

The MEA also raised concern over the harassment of Indian officials in Pakistan. On June 15, Pakistani authorities detained two officials of the Indian high commission in Islamabad in a case of alleged “hit and run” and released them after over 10 hours following India’s strong demarche and a blunt message to Islamabad that the duo must be freed immediately.

“While their officials indulged in actions that are not in conformity with their privileged status in the High Commission, Pakistan has in parallel engaged in a sustained campaign to intimidate the officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad from carrying on their legitimate diplomatic functions,” MEA representatives said.

India said that once the abducted Indian officials returned home on June 22, they provided graphic details of the barbaric treatment that they experienced at the hands of Pakistani agencies.