National
There was no advance warning on Cyclone Ockhi: Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 6 (IANS) Under flak over the way rescue operations were handled, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said there was no advance warning about Cyclone Ockhi and cleared a slew of packages for those affected.
Chairing his cabinet meeting, Vijayan also announced fresh measures to tackle similar calamities so that destruction could be minimized.
Addressing reporters later, Vijayan said the first information the state government got about the cyclone was on November 30 noon.
“There was no advance information about Cyclone Ockhi at all. On November 30, at 8.30 a.m. the India Meteorological Department intimated about a very deep deep depression about 170 km off Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) coast.
“Even at that time, there was no mention of cyclone. And by that time fishermen had already ventured into the sea.
“Even the union ministers who came here said there was no fault on the part of the state government and in an hour’s time the defence personnel began rescue work.”
Vijayan said this was one of the biggest ever rescue operations done. It was ongoing and would continue till the last fisherman was brought back.
“About 2,600 fishermen, including 1,130 Malayalees, were rescued and as per the records with us 92 are still missing,” said Vijayan.
Vijayan said already Rs 20 lakh had been announced to the kin of each person who died in the cyclone. Those who have been permanently disabled will get Rs 5 lakh each.
In the next one week, all the adults engaged in fishing will get Rs 60 per day while their children will be paid Rs 45 a day as allowance.
Free ration will be given to the coastal villages for a month, the Chief Minister said.
“All those who lost their fishing craft and gears will be compensated. The children of those killed and those missing will get free education and job training,” said Vijayan.
The meeting also decided that from now on all those who go for fishing will have to register with the Fisheries Department every day.
“All the boats that go into the sea should be fitted with GPS facility where two-way communication regarding the weather will be available.
“Two hundred people will be recruited to the Coastal Police and preference will be given to the children of fishermen who lost their lives or are missing,” said Vijayan.
Three different committees will be formed to look into the various issues being faced by the fishing community while the Disaster Management Authority will be reconstituted.
“We wish to thank the Centre and all those who helped us when the worst disaster struck. By and large the media did a good job but some sections of the media have to seriously introspect if they did the right job,” added Vijayan.
He said a request will be made to the Centre to declare this as a national disaster. A special package to mitigate the loss and destruction that took place will be submitted to the Centre.
–IANS
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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.
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