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Why can’t you amend Abkari Policy, SC asks Kerala

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday asked Kerala why can’t it amend its Abkari Policy to take out toddy from the list of alcoholic beverages as the state sought toddy’s exemption from the ban on liquor shops along national highways.

“Why can’t you amend” the Abkari policy, asked Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud as senior counsel V. Giri argued that toddy was a traditional drink.

Appearing for the Kerala government, Giri said: “Several thousand employees are dependent on toddy tapping. It is a traditional employment for them. It has been there for the last 70 years.”

Describing toddy as a mild alcoholic drink, Giri told the bench that toddy can’t be compared with other hard drinks.

The Kerala government told the court that it was facing difficulties in relocating the shops affected by the top court order on account of the rules mandating certain distance between toddy shops.

Besides this, toddy shops can’t be located near educational institutions and other places. In all, 520 shops have been affected by the highway ban order, it said.

The top court’s suggestion to amend the Abkari Policy came during the hearing of the petitions by Toddy Shop Licensee Association and Vaikom Taluk Chethuthozhilali.

The petitioners contended that the issue before the court when it prohibited the liquor shops within 500 metres on either side of the national highways was that of drunken driving and not alcohol per se.

Appearing for the Toddy Shops Licensee Association, senior counsel Raju Ramachandran said the court order banning liquor shops on national highways does not give the definition of alcohol as the concept of liquor was not before it.

The court was told that there were no drunken driving cases because of toddy drinking.

As the court wanted to know the distance that separated toddy shops from each other, it directed the next hearing of the matter on February 16.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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.

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