National
Assembly polls in three northeast states on Feb 18, 27 (Lead)
New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to polls in February to elect new assemblies, the Election Commission announced on Thursday, setting the stage for the first round of elections in 2018 ahead of the battle in Karnataka and later in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Announcing the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner A.K Joti said while the date of polling in Tripura will be February 18, it will be February 27 in Nagaland and Meghalaya. It will be a single day polling in all the states.
Counting of votes for all the three states, which have 60-member assemblies each, will be done on March 3.
The CPI-M runs the government in Tripura while the Congress rules Meghalaya. The Nagaland People’s Front is in power in Nagaland.
Joti also announced the Model Code of Conduct with immediate effect to provide a level playing field.
He said electronic voting machines and VVPATs (voter verifiable paper audit trail) will be used in all the three states to enhance transparency and credibility of the election process.
Photographs of the candidates will be available on EVM ballot unit for easy identification of candidates. Based on the assessment of ground situation, central armed police forces and state armed police drawn from other states will be deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.
The Election Commission will deploy general observers to keep a close watch on every stage of the electoral process to ensure free and fair elections.
In Tripura, filing of nomination will open on January 24 and the last day for this will be January 31. Scrutiny of nominations will be done on February 1 and the last day for withdrawal is February 3.
In Meghalaya and Nagaland, nominations open on January 31 and close on February 7. Scrutiny will be done on on February 8 and the last day for withdrawals is February 12.
–IANS
mak-rup/sar/vsc/mr
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.