National
Bengal government forced farmers to sell paddy at lower rate: BJP
Kolkata, Aug 23 (IANS) The BJP Kisan Morcha, the farmers wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Wednesday accused the West Bengal government of compelling farmers in the state to sell paddy at a lower rate than the MSP set by the central government.
“The central government had fixed the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy at Rs 1,640 per quintal but because of the inefficiency of the Bengal government the farmers in the state were forced to sell paddy at a price of Rs 1,000 per quintal,” Morcha national President Birendra Singh Mast said at a press conference here.
“In most of the BJP-run states, the farmers are getting more than the MSP through issuance of bonus, but the Bengal government is not playing their part in the Centre’s initiative and forcing the farmers to sell the paddy at far lesser price, thereby pushing them further into misery,” he alleged.
He claimed that leaders of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress and the party backed middlemen in the state are eating up the additional Rs 640 per quintal of paddy that is supposed to be given to the farmers.
Stating that the Bengal government is not treating the farmers well, Mast said the BJP Kisan Morcha would observe ‘Farmer Agitation Day’ on September 20 in Kolkata where he would be present.
Giving the example of the Uttar Pradesh government under Yogi Adityanath which has allocated Rs 67,000 crore for the development of farmers and farming in the state, the Morcha President said the Bengal government has failed to bring such initiatives itself or support the Centre’s development agendas.
Terming agriculture as the backbone of the nation’s growth, he said the BJP-led central government is the first government to have assigned 42 per cent of its total budget to the agricultural sector through various development schemes.
“The Prime Minister and his government is working towards the promise of doubling the income of all the farmers in the nation by 2022,” he said.
Talking about the massive loss of crops in Bengal during the recent flood, Mast said unlike Bihar, the Bengal government has not notified the Centre about its total estimation of losses to get the necessary aid from the centre.
“Bihar has informed the central government about the total estimated loss and the Prime Minister will go to Bihar to visit the flood-affected areas. But the Bengal government has not properly notified the centre about how much loss of crops the farmers have suffered during the floods,” he said.
“Being the president of the party’s farmers wing I will let the Centre know about the loss of the farmers here. But the initiative should be taken by the state government itself,” he added.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.