National
IAS officers aided corrupt bank officials: Delhi Assembly panel report
New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) A multi-crore-rupee scam happened in a government cooperative bank and two IAS officers delayed a probe against corrupt bank officials and lied during an inquiry, according to a Delhi Assembly committee report tabled in the house on Wednesday.
According to the ‘Interim Report of the Committee of Petitions’, the alleged corruption took place in Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank Ltd and a large number of illegal voters elected the bank Directors.
Two Indian Administrative Service officers — J.B. Singh and Shurbir Singh — were current and former Secretary-cum-Registrar of the Department of Cooperative Societies, under which the bank functions.
The committee asked Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to initiate criminal proceedings against both IAS officers “for acts of commission and omission to help the corrupt”.
The report also urged the Chief Secretary to submit an action-taken report to Speaker Ram Niwas Goel within a month.
“Nothing else but corruption can explain such connivance with a group of ex-Directors who had been found guilty in many inspections and inquiries,” the report said.
Aam Aadmi Party Chief Spokesperson and MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, who headed the committee, said that many of the bank members existed only on paper and that no inquiry was conducted into it by the two IAS officers, despite a High Court order for an inquiry.
He claimed that former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit herself had purchased 500 membership forms of the bank.
Bharadwaj termed the banks operations as “open theft” and said that officials had bought “ladoos” for Rs 11 lakh, among others.
The AAP had earlier alleged that Dikshit knew about this “scam” that occurred during her term but did not take action.
Bharadwaj had said that of the 67,000 bank members, only 14,000 were found genuine and that Congress leaders were involved in the “scam”.
The AAP MLA alleged that it happened under Dikshit’s nose and M.M. Kutty, the Delhi Chief Secretary till December 2017, was Dikshit’s Principal Secretary back then.
When Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vijender Gupta questioned Bharadwaj, he said they were willing to inquire more into the matter, but the central government should not oppose if Kutty was called for questioning.
The AAP-led Delhi government had had rocky relations with Kutty when he was the Chief Secretary.
The report was adopted by the Assembly after discussions.
–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.