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Congress alleges impropriety, seeks Piyush Goyal’s ouster

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New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) The Congress on Wednesday alleged “impropriety” and “conflict of interest” on the part of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, saying a company associated with him in the past was given a “haircut” loan waiver of 65 per cent on the outstanding loan amount of over Rs 650 crore.

The party sought his removal from the Union Cabinet and a judicial investigation by a Supreme Court judge into the case.

Talking to the media, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “A damning tale of conflict of interest, sweetened deals, gross impropriety and bank loan defaults by Shirdi Industries Ltd with past and present affiliation to Piyush Goyal and his family is out in open.”

Azad, who was accompanied by party leader M. Veerapa Moily and party spokesperson Pawan Khera, said Goyal was chairman and full-time director of Shirdi Industries Ltd from April 25, 2008 to July 1, 2010. The company had worked out a loan of Rs 258.62 crore from a consortium of banks headed by the Union Bank of India.

The Congress leader said that Shirdi Industries was declared sick on June 8, 2015, almost a year after the Modi government came to power.

“Despite Shirdi Industries Ltd (of Rakesh Agarwal and Mukesh Bansal) being declared ‘sick’, their sister company Asis Industries proceeded to grant an unsecured loan of Rs 1.59 crore in 2015-16 to Intercon Advisors Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Seema Goyal, the wife of the Union Minister,” he alleged.

Azad said Goyal was also director of this company from September 15, 2005 to July 22, 2013.

He said that Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Amending Act, 2017 prohibits a promoter of sick company from submitting bids before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

“Shirdi Industries went to NCLT. Outstanding loan amount of consortium of banks was Rs 651.87 crore. Shockingly, the consortium of banks agreed to take a haircut (waiver) of 65 per cent of loan amount and settled for Rs 228.85 crore,” he said.

“Surprisingly, no one raised an objection that the promoter of Shirdi Industries could not make a bid in view of the prohibitions contained in the insolvency code,” he added.

The Congress leader alleged that Rakesh Agarwal of Shridi Industries was “proximate” to Goyal as he was director in another company along with the brother of Union Minister.

He said Piyush Goyal and his wife were directors in another company and were succeeded by the sons of Agarwal and Bansal.

“The web of corporate entities that ties Piyush Goyal and his family to Rakesh Agarwal/ Mukesh Bansal is glaringly apparent,” Azad stressed.

Raising questions, the Congress leaders asked if it was “not a clear-cut case of conflict of interest and impropriety” on the part of Goyal.

The party asked if Goyal had declared his status as a chairman/whole-time director of Shirdi Industries as Rs 258.62 crore loan was raised from the UBI consortium.

It asked why Goyal had not declared the unsecured loan given to his wife’s company in his public filing available on the PMO website.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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.

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