National
Anti-Nanar plant activists threatened by Shiv Sena: Narayan Rane
Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) Maharashtra Swabhiman Party (MSP) President Narayan Rane on Friday accused the Shiv Sena of threatening farmers and leaders opposing the upcoming mega-refinery project at Nanar in Konkan.
“Despite strong opposition from the local villages, the state government has initiated forcible land acquisition process for the project. An activist, Ashok Walam, his wife Ashwini Walam and another crusader Mangesh Chavan were threatened in Matoshri,” Rane told media persons.
The MSP chief claimed that in Matoshri — the residence of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray — these activists and villagers were warned against opposing the project and even lured with money to back off, but they refused.
“The police arrested them and filed cases for opposing the project and finally they were granted bail by the court. The people who are trying to grab the villagers’ land are agents of Shiv Sena,” said Rane, whose party is part of the ruling NDA.
He said people of at least 16 villages in Nanar area have not given their consent for the project and have refused to accept the government’s compensation package.
The former Chief Minister, who hails from the picturesque coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra, listed the major environmental hazards if the government pushes ahead with the project, besides destroying the world-renowned Devgad Alphonso mango unique to this region.
“The Shiv Sena is playing a dual role in the matter. On one hand, Uddhav Thackeray says the party is opposed to the project, but its ministers in the state and the Centre are giving various clearances for it.
“Why haven’t Union Minister for Heavy Industries Anant Geete and state Industries Minister Subhash Desai stopped it,” Rane asked.
Even Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is on record that the project was being taken in Konkan at the insistence of the Shiv Sena, which is the ruling NDA’s ally at the Centre as well as in the state.
The mega-refinery project of the three Oil Marketing Companies — Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, with 50 per cent share, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd — both with 25 per cent share each, is known as West Coast Refinery & Petrochemical Project (WCRPP), planned in Babulwadi, Ratnagiri district.
With a total capacity of 60 million tonnes per annum, it will be constructed on around 14,000 acres land in two phases — 40 mtpa and 20 mtpa — at a cost of around Rs 1.5 trillion, with possibility of a foreign collaborator.
The project is intended to cater to the growing demand for Indian petrochemical products in the world market.
Incidentally, this is the second major project that the people of Konkan are strongly opposing — the other being the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project.
The JNPP is billed as the world’s biggest, coming up on 950 hectares of land with French collaboration near Madhban village in Ratnagiri, at a cost of Rs 1.12 trillion.
–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.