National
BJP-SP slugfest as snag hits Lucknow Metro’s maiden run (Roundup)
Lucknow, Sep 6 (IANS) Lucknow Metro’s run on Day One on Wednesday morning was affected as one of its trains developed a snag during the rush hours, leaving more than 100 passengers stranded and triggering a slugfest between the ruling BJP and the Samajwadi Party.
Officials said it was a “technical snag” due to which emergency brakes were applied, which in turn jammed the train.
Mahendra Kumar, Director (Rolling Stock and System) of the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation, said the train had been shunted to a depot for inspection by a technical team.
Otherwise, the Lucknow Metro, formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister and local MP Rajnath Singh, did good business on the day as eager members of the public took the ride, having waited for long for the Metro service to open in the city.
LMRC officials said more than 20,500 passengers boarded the Metro on the first day. The number could be higher as ticketing details were still to be collated.
As news of the snag on the Metro train spread, hundreds of SP workers, mostly from its Youth Wing, reached the Transport Nagar Metro station and squatted on roads and raised anti-Bharatiya Janata Party slogans.
They said the ruling BJP was in a hurry to take credit for the project otherwise started by the then SP government led by Akhilesh Yadav, but was now refusing to take responsibility for the technical snag that caused great public inconvenience.
After they did not disperse despite repeated warnings, police cane-charged them.
Akhilesh Yadav, during whose tenure as Chief Minister the Metro rail project was conceptualised and took shape, took to Twitter to question the state government on the snag.
The BJP accused Yadav of trying to “hijack” the project, which it said was set rolling by the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre.
State BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi claimed the Lucknow Metro could see the light of the day only because Prime Minister Narendra Modi facilitated a loan on easy instalments from the European Investment Bank through central guarantee.
Lucknow residents, however, seemed happy with the Metro launch and maintained that they were okay with such snags in such big projects.
“The good thing is that the Metro service has started and we are sure that traffic congestion on city roads will ease a bit, particularly in Alambagh area,” said Shiv Shukla, a businessman in Shringaarnagar.
–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.