National
NGT notice to Centre, Haryana for constructing road in Aravallis
Gurugram, March 21 (IANS) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices to the Centre and the Haryana government for allegedly violating the law and damaging the Aravalli hills while constructing a road in the foothills, an activist said.
The NGT issued the notices on the complaint of Right to Information (RTI) activist Harendra Dhingra. Gurugram-based Dhingra approached the NGT on March 12 with a complaint that the Aravalli was badly damaged by the officials and contractors while building a 3.5 km stretch of road there.
“NGT issued notices to the Centre and Haryana government seeking reply as to why the road construction, from Shikohpur-Sakhtpur-Gairatpur (Bas) to Ansal Retreats in the Aravallis, for the benefit of farmhouses and Pathways World School, which is causing huge damage to mountain range and environment, should not be stopped altogether,” Dhingra told IANS.
The road was being built by taking in conditional principal permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).
“The above land falls under the deemed forest area and as per the MoEF notification of 1992, its permission is must,” said Dhingra.
The Haryana PWD applied for permission to build the road on December 27, 2017, got the conditional principal approval on January 27, and issued tender notices in between but awarded the tender to a Bhiwani-based construction company on February 2.
“The construction company, even before fulfilling the tender conditions, dug up the area of the Aravalli hills and completed more than 50 per cent work within a month, although in principle the approval did not allow them to put a single brick or dig an inch of land,” Dhingra added.
“The road-building exercise was carried out at the behest of Haryana PWD and Forest Minister Rao Narbir Singh. As of now, the Government assured us that the work would remain suspended till the next date of hearing, which is April 16,” he added.
When contacted for comment, Laxminarayan, the personal assistant to Singh told IANS, “The Minister is in Chandigarh hence he is not available for his views on the issue. I am not aware of any such notice.”
–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.