National
TN CM says Union Budget 2018-19 balanced, opposition says disappointing (Lead)
Chennai, Feb 1 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami on Thursday commended Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for presenting a balanced growth-oriented budget for 2018-19, but state’s major opposition parties like DMK and PMK termed it “disappointing”.
In a statement issued here, Palaniswami said: “The country is going through a difficult phase of economic development. It needs acceleration and stabilisation of the growth momentum. The budget should give a boost to increase investment, generate more jobs.
“Given these circumstances, this budget is addressing the critical issues effectively and the Union Finance Minister has put his best efforts to present a balanced and growth oriented budget.”
However Palaniswami said the standard deduction of Rs.40,000 introduced for salaried class while computing their taxable income falls short of public expectations.
He said that the setting-up of the Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund with a total corpus of Rs 10,000 crore announced by Jaitley will provide a significant impetus to the agriculture and allied sectors.
Welcoming the liberalisation of agricultural exports announced by Jaitley, Palaniswami also added that Tamil Nadu would benefit from the mega food park scheme of the central government.
Referring to the budget proposal to give special focus on expanding the suburban train systems capacity in Mumbai and Bengaluru, he pointed out Chennai was left out despite the city expanding faster.
PMK founder S. Ramadoss termed the budget a “largely disappointing one” while DMK leader M.K.Stalin termed it as “a string of decorative announcements.”
In a statement here, Ramadoss said the proposals pertaining to agriculture announced by Jaitley will benefit the people only if these were implemented properly.
As this is the last full budget of the Modi government, he said there were expectations about announcements that would benefit the people but it did not happen, while much was expected for agriculture and rural development but there was “no major change this time”.
According to Stalin, the BJP government should carry out a self-introspection about its poll promises, the announcements made by it during the past four years and their fulfillment.
He said the budget is silent on farmer’s suicides and writing off their loans.
–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.