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Portuguese PM to skip beaches, packed schedule in Goa

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8 years ago

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Portuguese PM to skip beaches, packed schedule in GoaPanaji: When Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa arrives in the land of his origin on Tuesday night, a stroll on Goa’s popular beaches certainly does not appear to be at the top of his agenda. Costa or “Babush”, as he is known by his family in Konkani, during his two-day visit to Goa, a former Portuguese colony whose shores his poet as well as writer father Orlando quit decades back, has a packed schedule in the coastal state.

Costa will host official banquets, Bollywood producers, visit temples, churches, stroll down the popular Latin Quarter in Fontainhas in Panaji and take some time off to visit his ancestral home in Margao town, about 35 km from here. Sources at the Portuguese consulate here and the state protocol department, which have been tasked with facilitating Costa’s visit, said the Goa-end of the Prime Minister’s itinerary during his seven-day visit to India was being worked out and fine-tuned for over three months.

“Costa’s visit is chock-a-block with engagements. He is coming back home, we have spared no efforts to make his visit a success,” sources in the state government, which is engaged in arranging the logistics for the visit, said on Monday. Costa’s high-level delegation team has already worked out various pacts dealing with defence, security, IT, renewable energy sectors with the central government, and the Prime Minister himself has gifted a Cristiano Ronaldo jersey to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

After a night’s interlude following his arrival in Goa, Costa will on Wednesday first meet Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Governor Mridula Sinha, before attending a lunch hosted by the state government. The Portuguese Prime Minister will also visit the Old Goa Church complex, a Unesco-endorsed world heritage site built during the colonial era, and the Mangueshi temple.

He will also meet top officials of the National Institute of Oceanography near here, and then attend a civic reception in his honour. Costa is also scheduled to address the audience and attend a presentation of the English translation of his father’s book ‘Sem Flores Nem Coares’. Poet Orlando was born in the Portuguese colony of Mozambique in 1929, but his family migrated to Goa, whose tropical shores he later left at the age of 18 for Lisbon.

Goa was ruled by Portugal for 451 years before she was liberated by the Indian Army in 1961. Costa will on Thursday visit the Birla Optical Fibre factory in Verna in South Goa, before undertaking a walking visit to the Latin Quarter in Fontainhas. There he will visit the Portuguese cultural organisation Fundacao Oriente and inaugurate Centro de Lingua Portuguesa.

On the same afternoon, Costa will also conduct another walking tour through the city, and then visit a local college of law. Costa on Thursday night will host Bollywood producers at a five-star resort, where he is expected to make a pitch for Portugal as a film-shooting destination, as well as host a reception for Portuguese, Indo-Portuguese communities and local authorities.

He is also expected to visit his ancestral home in Margao and share a meal with close relatives and friends, his first cousin Anna Kaarina Jussilainen said. “It’s going to be a simple meal, he would like to share with friends and family,” she said.

Costa’s arrival has already stirred political interest in the poll-bound Goa with regional parties like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Suraksha Manch demanding an apology for atrocities committed by Portuguese colonists. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have however unequivocally welcomed Costa, saying an apology from friendly countries was out of question.

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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3 weeks ago

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September 3, 2024

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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