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Sonowal hard sells state as investment hub in Singapore diaspora meet
Singapore, Jan 7 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday said his state is committed to closer ties with the southeast Asian region with New Delhi putting the Northeast at the heart of its Act East Policy.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the Northeast at the heart of India’s Act East Policy,” Sonowal said while addressing a session on “Northeast India as Asean’s Gateway to India” at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-India Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, a gathering of the Indian diaspora of the region, here.
“We have been inspired by his visionary leadership and have stepped up our efforts in increasing interaction with the Asean countries with the support of our External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj,” he said.
Stating that Assam and the Northeast are close to the southeast Asian nations, he said: “We have land border with Myanmar. Many of the Asean capitals are within 2,000 km from (Assam’s main city) Guwahati which is comparable to flying distance from Guwahati to many other Indian cities. We are keen to start flights between Guwahati and Asean capitals.”
In this regard, Sonowal said that construction of a new terminal building at Guwahati airport would begin soon.
He also referred to the under-progress trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmnar and Thailand, saying that India is working to improve this land route.
India has been focussing on the 10-nation Asean regional bloc under New Delhi’s Act East Policy keeping geostrategic and economic priorities in mind.
The Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
Sonowal said that Assam is the largest among the eight northeastern states of India with a population of 33 million and the state is blessed with a large variety of natural resources and very rich bio-diversity.
Speaking about the verdant water resources in Assam, Sonowal said that both the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers along with their many tributaries have a huge potential for river transport, tourism and industry.
In order to make the rivers navigable, dredging has been taken up both in Barak and Brahmaputra to facilitate state’s access to the Bay of Bengal through Chittagong port in Bangladesh in the near future, he stated.
He also pointed out to the fact that Assam is ranks third among the raw silk producing states in India.
“Over 80 per cent Muga silk and over 60 per cent of Eri silk produced in India comes from Assam,” he said.
Sonowal also recalled that the petroleum industry in India started at Digboi in Assam and the state today has four refineries and significant petroleum as well as natural gas reserves.
On the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Sonowal kick started here a roadshow of “Advantage Assam: Global Investors’ Summit” to be held in Guwahati next month.
In a move to woo investors, he presented the business landscape of the state, especially on ease of doing business, single-window clearance system, skilled work force and the state’s verdant natural resources before a galaxy of business leaders.
Sonowal also joined External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in a meeting with Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan during the course of which bilateral issues for the promotion of India-Singapore relations were discussed.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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