Aurangabad Feb 18 PTI Work to remove at least five tonnes of stones that have fallen over a long period in the Deogiri Fort caves complex was underway and would be completed in four months time an Archeological Survey of India official said here on Friday The work on the complex that has six Jain caves involves breaking the stones and removing them giving support to the structure with six pillars and making a pathway for year-round accessibility the ASI Aurangabad Circle official told PTI It will take four months time to finish the work which costs Rs 41 lakh The cave has distinguished characteristics which include a stepped pathway that opens in the trench of Deogiri Fort The cave complex has man-made water bodies on three sides a couple of underground storehouses and a toilet like structure he said Historian Dr Dulari Qureshi told PTI these seem to be Jain caves carved during the Yadava dynasty which make them a pre Ellora period structure before 1200 AD This will be useful to researchers who are studying cave architecture The stone is porous here and seepage has added to its loss A deep carved structure is present which is unique and looks like a mediation room she said PTI AW BNM BNM BNM

Chennai Dec 28 PTI Work to install electricity meters for agricultural power connections should be halted immediately in Tamil Nadu to allay the apprehensions of farmers the main opposition AIADMK demanded on Tuesday Hitting out at the ruling DMK for maintaining double standards on the issue of metering farm connections AIADMK top leader O Panneerselvam said Chief Minister M K Stalin should take necessary steps to stall the Union governments move vis-a-vis metering Pointing to Stalin rolling out the one lakh farm electricity connection scheme in September Panneerselvam also deputy leader of the opposition in the Assembly said it was projected as if the initiative was a huge achievement Stalin however did not mention anything about metering such connections he said adding that efforts were now on to install meters for all farm service connections There is an apprehension among farmers that the metering exercise is only to levy consumption charges in future he said Hence the government should stop installing meters and Stalin must take steps to halt the Centres move in respect of metering the AIADMK leader added Panneerselvam also former Chief Minister slammed the DMK for shifting its stand on issues based on whether it was in the opposition or on the ruling side The deputy leader of the opposition said when the AIADMK was in power in 2002 the DMK opposed a proposal for installation of meters for farm connections and had even staged protests against the move to politicise the matter Such a stand was taken by the DMK despite late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa making it clear that free of cost power supply to farmers would continue and the move to install meters was only to record consumption to enable the government to determine demand and supply requirements he said Authorities now are giving exactly the very same explanation put forward during the AIADMK rule for metering farm connections Panneerselvam said The DMK which criticised it then is now doing the same thing metering he said mocking at the ruling party PTI VGN APR APR