Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], February 27 (ANI): The death toll in the Uttarakhand glacier burst incident has reached 72 as two more bodies and 30 parts of human bodies were recovered from the debris, according to the state government on Saturday..
“So far, 72 bodies and 30 human body parts have been recovered from different places in the avalanche hit areas out of which 40 bodies and one human body part have been identified,” said Chamoli district police.
DNA samples of bodies which have not been identified are being preserved.
Missing reports of 205 persons have been registered at Joshimath police station so far.
DNA samples of 110 family members of missing people, 58 bodies and 28 human body parts have been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory in Dehradun for matching, it said.
Meanwhile, the rescue and search operation for missing people is underway. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel along with National Disaster Response Force and other sister agencies have been conducting search and rescue operations in Chamoli district.
A glacier burst earlier in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand triggered massive flooding in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers that damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], February 27 (ANI): A 17-year-old boy was admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre on Friday after being beaten up and stabbed by three boys in the Kalkaji area when he objected to them following his sister and passing indecent remarks.
According to Delhi police, a PCR call was received at police station Kalka Ji regarding a boy who had been stabbed near Sarvodya Vidhalya No. 2 Kalkaji and was being taken to AIIMS trauma for treatment.
As per the police, the eye witness (sister of injured) age-18 years, who was present with him at the time of the incident, stated that three boys followed her and passed indecent remarks. When her brother objected, they beat him up and one of them stabbed him on the left side of the abdomen and fled from the spot.
Meanwhile, the girl who was molested told ANI, “It had been going on for 2-3 days. They hit my brother and stabbed him when he objected.”
A case vide FIR No. 95/2021 u/s 307/354(D)/509/34 IPC has been registered and further investigation is going on, the police said, adding that efforts are being made to trace the accused who are residents of J.J.Camp Giri Nagar in the area of police station, Govind Puri. (ANI)

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 27 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was warmly greeted by State Ministers and supporters on the occasion of his 78th birthday in his office in Bengaluru on Saturday morning.
Ministers and his supporters greeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader with garlands and bouquets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several union ministers also extended birthday greetings to Yediyurappa, wishing him a long and healthy life.
“Greetings to Karnataka CM @BSYBJP Ji on his birthday. Yediyurappa Ji is one of our most experienced leaders, who has devoted his life towards the welfare of farmers and empowering the poor. Praying for his long and healthy life,” PM Modi tweeted.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal lauded the Chief Minister’s efforts to transform the lives of farmers in the state.
“Warm birthday greetings to CM B.S. Yediyurappa ji @BSYBJP. His efforts to transform the lives of our Annadatas through tech-enabled governance in Karnataka have set a new benchmark. I wish him a long and healthy life,” he tweeted.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too praised Yediyurappa’s work for the upliftment of the poor and empowerment of farmers.
“Best wishes to Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri BS Yediyurappa on his birthday. He has been making a remarkable contribution to Karnataka’s development and doing commendable work while uplifting the poor and empowering the farmers. Praying for his long and healthy life,” Singh tweeted.
“Warm Birthday wishes to the Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri B.S. Yediyurappa. May you be blessed with good health and long life,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
Born on February 27, 1943, BS Yediyurappa, now 78, was first elected to the lower house of the Karnataka Legislature in 1983 and has since represented the Shikaripur constituency seven times.
He was elected as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka on 3rd February 2006 in the JD(S) and BJP Coalition Government. He was sworn in as the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka on November 12, 2007.
In Karnataka’s 2008 Assembly elections, Yediyurappa contested from Shikaripura won the election and took the oath of office as Chief Minister on May 30, 2008.
He is the first person from the Bharatiya Janata Party to become the Chief Minister of a south Indian state and the first Chief Minister to present a separate agricultural budget. (ANI)

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], February 27 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal has assured Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of reimbursing pending food subsidies worth Rs 4,832 crores
Baghel on Friday met Union Food and Public Distribution Minister and reiterated his demand of increasing the permitted amount of 24 lakh metric tonnes of rice to be procured under the central pool in FCI to 40 lakh metric tonnes in the Kharif marketing year 2020-21.
He also requested the Union minister to reimburse pending food subsidies for the year 2019-20 and 2020-21 of Rs 5214.97 crore.
“In the interest of farmers of Chhattisgarh, the Centre should give permission for procurement of 40 lakh metric tonnes of rice in the Food Corporation of India at the earliest as 92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have been procured from 20.53 lakh farmers on the support price in Chhattisgarh in the Kharif marketing year 2020-21, as on 31 January 2021, under the decentralized procurement scheme,” the Chief Minister said.
He said the Food Department has been allowed to take only 24 lakh metric tonnes of rice under the Central pool in the Kharif year 2020-21.
Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat also accompanied the chief minister during the meeting. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], February 27 (ANI): As many as 16,488 new COVID-19 cases and 113 deaths were reported in India during the last 24 hours, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Saturday.
With this, the total coronavirus caseload in the country has gone up to 1,10,79,979, including 1,59,590 active cases and 1,07,63,451 discharges.
The COVID-19 death toll reached 1,56,938 on Saturday with additional 113 deaths.
As per the Health Ministry, a total of 1,42,42,547 people in the country have been vaccinated against the virus.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021. The vaccination of the frontline workers started on February 2.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) informed today that the total number of samples has reached 21,54,35,383 as of Friday, including 7,73,918 samples tested yesterday. (ANI)

Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], February 27 (ANI): Election for 88 seats of three municipalities in Gujarat’s Vadodara district, along with 34 Zilla panchayat seats and 168 taluka panchayat seats will be held on February 28.
While the BJP is riding high after winning all six civic corporation polls held earlier this week, the Congress party believes the hike in fuel prices and public disenchantment with the ruling party will turn the tide.
The remaining 27 districts, which includes 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka panchayats, will also go to polls on February 28 as well.
According to District Collector Shalini Agarwal, voting for Vadodara’s municipalities will take place between 7 am and 6 pm and several returning officers and assistant returning officers have been deployed for the same.
“9,61,830 voters have registered for the Zilla and taluka panchayat polls and 94,250 have registered for Nagar Palika polls. 1,308 presiding officers and 2,708 polling officers have been deployed,” Agarwal added while addressing a press conference here.
With the polls taking place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the deployed officers will ensure that government-prescribed COVID-19 guidelines are being adhered to. Health kits and gloves will be provided for the staff and voters respectively, the district collector informed.
“In order to maintain overall law and order, police, group mobile, police magistrate mobile, local police, home guards and SRPs will be deployed,” she added. (ANI)