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Hindon Air Force base to be used for RCS-Udan scheme (Lead)
New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The government on Wednesday said that it plans to use Hindon Air Force base in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district to connect regional destinations to the national capital.
The proposal to develop a “Civil Enclave” at the Hindon Air Force base was disclosed by Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey on the sidelines of Assocham’s Civil Aviation conference held here.
A “Civil Enclave” is an area allotted at an airport, belonging to armed forces for providing civilian air transport services. Currently, there are over 20 such enclaves in India.
According to Choubey, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has agreed to provide the Air Force base for flight operations under the second round of the Regional Connectivity Scheme — Udan — (RCS-Udan).
However, the IGI airport operator DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) has to be taken “on-board” for the new arrangement to be implemented, Choubey said.
The OMDA (Operation Management and Development Agreement) pact that GMR Group’s DIAL has entered-in with state-run Airports Autority of India (AAI), prohibits civilian airport operations within 150 kms of the IGI airport.
“First of all we have to take GMR on-board and we are reasonably confident that we will be in a position to sort out the contract related issues with GMR as far as Hindon is concerned because we see slot constraints for the smaller aircraft which are flying under the RCS,” Choubey said.
The Civil Aviation Secretary disclosed that talks with Indian Air Force were initiated on a “pre-emtive” basis, as the Ministry of Civil Aviation expected a healthy demand for routes connecting the national capital with regional areas under the second round of RCS-Udan scheme.
“We are took this pre-emptive step, as we expect a significant demand for slots in Delhi and we recognised that it may be difficult for DIAL to provide all those slots for RCS at the Delhi airport,” Choubey informed.
A “slot” is a permit given to flight operators to use the full range of airport infrastructure necessary to arrive or depart on a specific date and time.
IAF sources told IANS that a “feasibility report” was given to the MoD recommending civilian flight operations at Hindon base, after which a formal nod was given to the proposal.
The Hindon Air Force Station is located around 30 km away from downtown New Delhi and is spread over an area of over 55 square kilometers, making it one of the largest air bases in Asia. It is operated under the Western Air Command
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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.