National
IPS officer, who exposed prison favours to Sasikala, declines award (Lead)
Bengaluru, March 26 (IANS) Karnataka’s woman Indian Police Service (IPS) officer D. Roopa Moudgil, the whistleblower who exposed prison favours to jailed sidelined AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala, declined to accept an award recognising her work for the “heavy” cash reward it came with.
“I did not accept the Namma Bengaluru Award by the Namma Bengaluru Foundation on Sunday as it came with a heavy cash reward of Rs 2 lakh,” Moudgil, who is the Inspector General of Police, Home Guards and Civil Defence, told IANS here.
Founded in 2009, the Foundation has been working on various citizen issues in the city, giving out annual awards for citizens and government officials for their work. The ninth edition of the awards were given out on Sunday.
In a letter to the private foundation, which is founded and supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Moudgil said as a government servant, she was expected to maintain neutrality and distance from “quasi-political” bodies.
Chandrasekhar, who was earlier an Independent, recently got re-elected as a BJP candidate.
“With the Foundation fighting against the government on various civic issues in courts, it is the government servants who represent the state in the court. Hence, I felt it was inappropriate for me to receive the award as a government servant,” she said.
Moudgil, through a report last year, exposed the favours and special treatment given to Sasikala in Bengaluru Central Jail, where she is currently serving a four-year sentence since February last year after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in a corruption case by a trial court here in September 2015.
Responding to Moudgil’s letter, the Foundation called it “inappropriate”.
“We are saddened and shocked at the inappropriate conduct of one of the nominees to the government official category of the awards,” it said in a statement, alleging that she had “indulged in relentless lobbying” for the award, and termed her conduct “immature and malicious for not making it to the final winner”.
Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bengaluru, Dipika Bajpai was given the award under the government official category on Sunday.
Moudgil, in a reply to the statement, continued to maintain that she kept her post’s dignity, neutrality and fairness by declining to be part of the event.
–IANS
bha/vd
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.