National
Government using Aadhaar as monitoring mechanism, says Rahul
New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Modi government of using Aadhaar as a “monitoring mechanism” and said it will end up in the same “mess” as the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Speaking at the valedictory session of the 122th annual session of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gandhi also said that GST needs to be “reformed, changed and simplified”.
Answering a query on the directives to link Aadhaar with bank accounts and sim cards, Gandhi said the Aadhaar programme, which was initiated by the Congress-led UPA government, was designed to be a supporting mechanism and not a monitoring mechanism.
“The forces in power today are converting it into monitoring mechanism. That’s how they visualise Aadhaar. That is not how it was intended. And I agree with you (the questioner) that it is going to have serious consequences,” Gandhi said.
“So you will end up in the same mess that you are now with the GST. You will attempt to do something that is not feasible, and then you will get stuck,” he added.
The Central government had on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it will extend till March 31, 2018, the deadline for linking Aadhaar with bank accounts, PAN, mobile numbers and other schemes for those who don’t have the unique identification number and are willing to go for it.
On GST, Gandhi said it has gone “wrong” and the government was not listening to the people.
“We fought a very brave battle to get India GST which is very good. The basic architecture was minimum slabs, a cap on amount of tax and simple GST. We gave it everything we had,” Gandhi said.
He said party leader P. Chidambaram went to meet Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to convey that the government was making a “mistake” with GST and later to say that the tax should first be implemented on pilot basis, but the party’s concerns were overlooked and it was almost told to “mind your business”.
Gandhi said the Congress felt it had conveyed its concerns on GST and let it get passed in Parliament. “At a certain point, we said the country wants a GST.”
Answering a query on his barb describing GST as “Gabbar Singh Tax”, Gandhi said “GST is overcomplicated.”
He said there were 5-6 slabs, the upper tax slab of 28 per cent should be capped at 18 per cent.
“Now that the GST has been implemented the government will not accept changes but we will apply pressure and are doing it. But our position is that GST has to be reformed, changed and simplified,” he said.
–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.