National
Not looking for huge funds in next Budget: Railways Minister
New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the Railways does not need huge funds in the next Union Budget as it will focus on monetising its own assets.
“Earlier, I had suggested that Railways in the coming days would not require huge money the way in it has been allotted in the last three Budgets,” Goyal told reporters here on the sidelines of the FICCI’s National Executive Committee meeting.
“In the last three years, the investment in Railways has doubled than what was there during UPA II. And this year (2017-18), we have invested about Rs 1.31 lakh crore. A huge amount was given to Railways to improve safety and passenger amenities,” the minister said.
“My main priority in Railways is to see how we can generate internal resources. So Railways will take care of the budget by self-generated resources… there are many assets with Railways that can be monetised.”
The Railways has enough funding for all the safety-related projects and for “all our growth plans”, said Goyal.
He also said that with the money generated from the railway resources, “it will improve the services, run it efficiently and keep on serving people”.
Asked about a fare hike in the next budget, Goyal said: “I believe we need to do an efficiency hike more than a fare hike.”
The Railways this year broke away from the British-era tradition of presenting a separate Rail Budget, which was in practice since 1924, as it was merged with the General Budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Next year will be the second time that Jaitley will present the merged budget (for 2018-19).
In the 2017-18 Budget, with focus on four major areas — passenger safety, capital and development works, cleanliness and finance and accounting reforms — Jaitley had allocated Rs 1.3 lakh crore to the Indian Railways, with a gross budgetary support of Rs 55,000 crore.
–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.