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Sri Lankan President’s party to stay in unity government
Colombo, Feb 19 (IANS) The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led by President Maithripala Sirisena on Monday ended days of political uncertainty in the country, saying it would continue to be a part of the unity government to push for “major changes” within the government.
SLFP parliamentarian and Minister of Social Empowerment S.B. Dissanayake said the SLFP decided to remain in the government and end the uncertainty over the future of the SLFP and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party (UNP) unity government.
He said the SLFP held extensive talks with Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat and the party had vowed to stay with the President and support his decisions.
“We decided to make a massive change within the government. We will remain with our decision to make those changes and do what is necessary,” Dissanayake told reporters after meeting the President.
“We will not leave the unity government,” he added.
The future of Sri Lanka’s unity government became uncertain when the UNP and the SLFP were defeated in a local government election on February 10, Xinhua news agency reported.
Since the two parties’ defeat, several SLFP ministers had asked for the resignation of the Prime Minister and urged the President to break the unity government and form a SLFP-led government.
UNP ministers had also called on the Prime Minister to quit the unity government and form a UNP-led government instead.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, however at a media briefing held last week said the UNP would not quit the unity government and he would continue as the Prime Minister according to the Sri Lankan Constitution.
At the February 10 local government polls, former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s newly-formed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, also known as the Sri Lanka People’s Front achieved a landslide victory by winning 239 councils out of 340.
The UNP won 41 councils while the SLFP won 10.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.