National
Procure more buses on ‘war footing’, HC tells Delhi government
New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana alone cannot be blamed for the poor air quality in the national capital if the Delhi government was not willing to improve public transport, adding that it should buy more buses on a “war footing”.
“Every citizen is suffering from pollution. All authorities have opined that pollution on account of road transport is the major source of air pollution in Delhi. We need buses. This needs more serious attention than burning of crops and odd-even scheme,” said the high court emphasising the need for better public transport facility.
“The Delhi government should make an effort on war footing to bring in more buses as there is urgency for more buses for Delhi’s citizens,” it added.
The court’s observation came on a PIL by a person suffering from locomotor disability, challenging the Delhi government’s decision to procure 2,000 standard floor buses at a cost of Rs 300 crore.
Contending that the government showed insensitivity towards disabled persons by procuring non-disabled-friendly buses, the petitioner said the standard floor buses had higher steps and were not equipped for wheelchair access, and, therefore, would affect about 2.34 lakh disabled persons in the national capital.
The court, however, refused to stay the government’s decision to procure 2,000 buses.
It added that in 1998, the Supreme Court had directed the city government to augment the fleet of buses from 5,000 to 10,000, but despite the passage of 19 years, the government had not yet achieved the target.
The high court impleaded the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the Northern Railway as parties in the PIL and sought their responses on improving and increasing their facilities.
During the hearing, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) told the court that it was facing difficulty in procuring low-floor buses and it had floated tenders three times but had not received any positive responses.
High cost of low-floor buses and maintenance of these buses was the main reason that it had not been able to procure these buses, it added.
The court has posted the matter for hearing on November 23.
–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.