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Bengal failed to tackle flood situation despite central funds: Congress

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Kolkata, Aug 30 (IANS) West Bengal state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday accused the state’s Mamata Banerjee government of failing to utilise the money available under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for tackling the recent floods.

He said that the Banerjee government can’t wash its hands of the responsibilities to provide relief and rehabilitation to the flood victims by calling it “a man-made flood”.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trying to wash off her hands from the responsibility by terming it a ‘man-made’ flood. But it is a failure of her government as it could not provide the necessary relief and rehabilitation to the flood victims despite getting funds from the centre in the form of NDRF and SDRF,” Chowdhury said at a public meeting here.

“Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, passed under the then Congress-run central government, all the states receive funds from the centre in the form of State Disaster Response Fund to tackle the emergency situation during the natural calamities.

“They are also eligible for immediate relief assistance from NDRF if the funds needed for relief operations exceeds the balances in the SDRF account. Is it not the state government’s failure in spite of getting the centre’s aid?” he asked.

Taking a swipe at Banerjee for blaming the water released from different barrages under the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for the inundation in several south Bengal districts, Chowdhury said it is not possible that DVC would release water without the state’s consent.

“The water released from DVC is controlled by a regulatory committee that comprises representatives from centre, DVC and the state governments of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. It is not possible that the water was released from the dams without the Bengal government’s consent,” he claimed.

“The Chief Minister is trying to misguide the flood victims by putting the blame on DVC. I challenge her to tell to the truth,” said Chowdhury, adding that lakhs of people are still suffering in the districts of Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur in north Bengal without food, medicine, or habitat and no government relief has reached them yet.

Stating that the state Congress does not have the sufficient infrastructure to support everyone, he took out a rally from Hazra Crossing to Lake Mall in south Kolkata and urged the party activists and locals to donate as much money and relief materials as possible to to help the flood victims.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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.

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