National
UPA fully responsible for bank NPAs, country won’t forgive: Modi
New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the Congress-led UPA was fully responsible for the NPAs of banks and that the country would never forgive the party for its “sin”.
Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, Modi said that the total lending of banks was Rs 18 lakh crore in 2008 and it grew to Rs 52 lakh crore in 2014 due to indiscriminate lending during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime.
“Today the rise in NPAs (non-performing assets) is due to the interest on Rs 52,000 crore. The country will never forgive you.
“The country should know that deeds of the previous government were behind NPAs. The previous government is fully responsible. They made such banking policies in which pressure was exerted on the banks, telephone calls were made and the favourites would get loans. The government, bank and middlemen would jointly restructure the loans on paper and lakhs of crores were given,” Modi added.
The Prime Minister said the entire issue came to attention of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government after it came to office in 2014.
“If I had to do politics, I would have placed the facts before people right at the beginning of (my tenure), but it would have hit the economy. I remained quiet despite having proof of your sins. I remained quiet in the interest of the country. Now we have empowered the banks and time has come to bring the truth before people,” Modi said.
“This NPA is your sin. I am telling this in the temple of democracy. After our government came to power, we have not given a single loan which turned into a NPA.”
Accusing the Congress of giving wrong statistics, he said its leaders had put the stressed assets identified as NPAs in 2014 at 36 per cent, but these had turned out to be 82 per cent.
He said the government had strengthened banks through recapitalisation.
Modi accused the Congress of “hit-and-run politics” and said “the more you throw mud, the more lotus (BJP’s election symbol) will bloom”.
–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.