National
15th Finance Commission holds first meeting, to seek inputs from all stakeholders
New Delhi, Dec 4 (IANS) The 15th Finance Commission on Monday decided to expeditiously hold wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders on national, state and grassroot levels to “suitably address” the wide-ranging terms of reference it has been assigned.
It also recognised the need to undertake analytical papers, analysis from leading research organisations and seek academic inputs and interactions with leading think-tanks and domain knowledge experts to come up with its recommendations, said a statement from the Finance Ministry.
The announcement came after the panel, constituted on November 27, held its first meeting at North Block here which was chaired by N.K. Singh and attended by all its members. Before the meeting, Singh and other members called on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his office.
The Finance Ministry statement said the Commission was cognisant that it has been assigned “wide-ranging terms of reference which needed to be suitably addressed”.
“Towards this objective, it was felt that wide-ranging consultations with all stake holders including various central ministries, all state governments, local bodies, panchayats and political parties of each state needed to be expeditiously initiated,” it added.
The panel has been tasked with deciding the distribution of shareable central tax proceeds among centre, states and local bodies.
Its terms of reference also include proposing measurable performance-based incentives for states on efforts made by them in various fields including expansion and deepening of tax net under GST, achievements in implementation of flagship central schemes and disaster resilient infrastructure, reaching sustainable development goals, and quality of expenditure.
During the meeting, the Commission also approved setting-up of its office at Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan at Janpath here.
–IANS
vv/vd
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.