National
Siddaramaiah to present record 13th state budget on Friday
Bengaluru, Feb 14 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, would set a record of sorts on Friday by presenting his 13th state budget and 6th in a row, an official said on Wednesday.
Siddaramaiah will present the budget for 2018-19 on Friday though it will not be a full-fledged budget but a vote-on-account budget in view of the upcoming election, an official in the Chief Minister’s office told IANS.
The 70-year-old leader presented 12 budgets so far, six as the Congress Chief Minister since 2013 and seven as Deputy Chief Minister in the first Congress-Janata Dal coalition government in 2005–07 and in the then Janata Dal-United (JD-U) government from 1995-2000.
Siddaramaiah presented the state budget for seven times under three Chief Ministers – twice under H.D Deve Gowda in 1995 and 1996, three times under J.H. Patel of the JD-U in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and under Congress’ N. Dharam Singh in 2005 and 2006, the official said.
Siddaramaiah is also the second in the southern stateA to complete the five-year term as Chief Minister – 40 years after Devaraj Urs (1972-78) as about 10 Chief Ministers of three parties could not compete their full term in between for various reasons.
Siddaramaiah switched over to the Congress from the JD-S in August 2006 following differences with its supreme and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his second son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
“Though it will be a vote-on-account, in view of the assembly election in April-May, it will have allocations for various ministries and new proposals for people’s welfare,” said the official, who did not want to be named.
According to sources in the state Finance Ministry, the budget would have higher allocation in the health sector to extend the state government’s flagship ‘Arogya Bhagya’ healthcare insurance to various sections, including farmers, artisans, senior citizens, state employees and workers in the civic bodies.
“The budget is also like to see higher allocation for education, housing, irrigation, agriculture, energy and infrastructure, especially for Bengaluru as it is the IT capital of the country,” said the official.
In the event of the Congress retaining power and Siddaramaiah becoming Chief Minister again, he could present his 14th state budget in July.
–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.