National
Negotiated with terrorists, will try for LG-Kejriwal patchup, too: Minister
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said he has in the past tried negotiating with terrorists and can now “accept the challenge” of brokering peace between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.
The comments of the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs came after members from various opposition parties complained about the “elected government of Delhi being deprived of all powers by the Centre” and the constant friction between the Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister, as the former wields all the administrative powers.
“In the four decades of my public life, I faced many challenges. I have tried to negotiate with terrorists, etc. This (dealing with Kejriwal) is going to be a difficult one but I will accept your challenge and try and negotiate,” Puri told the Rajya Sabha.
“Maybe, I invite both of them for a lunch or something and will try and sort this out,” he added after Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien asked Puri to “sort out the friction between Lt Governor and Delhi Chief Minister”.
Kejriwal and Puri exchanged some heated official communication on the issue of hike in fares of the Delhi Metro in October this year. While Kejriwal demanded a rollback of the hike, Puri categorically declined it citing the mechanism of the Fare Fixation Committee.
Earlier, as the House discussed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017, many members raised the issue of division of powers between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor and said that the latter wielded all the powers and not the elected government.
While members from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI-M and the CPI forcefully stressed the need to give more powers to the Delhi government, Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Agarwal went on to say that the Lt Governor treats Delhi Chief Minister like a “chaprasi” (peon).
Veteran Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also raised the issue of the Delhi Chief Minister not being invited at the inauguration of the Delhi Metro’s Magenta line a few days back.
“Every person with a common sense was heard saying that this (not extending invitation) was not proper,” Yadav said as he cited an example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once declining to go to the inauguration of a project in a state until its Chief Minister was invited.
The House later unanimously passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions Third Amendment) Bill, 2017 that extends the validity of the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011 till December 31, 2020.
In simple terms, the extension of the law would defer any action against the unauthorised colonies and slum clusters in the city for another three years — till 2020.
–IANS
mak/nir/dg
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.