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May 14 not final date for Bengal Panchayat polls: HC (Lead)
Kolkata, May 1 (IANS) In an apparent blow to the West Bengal State Election Commission, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday termed the polling date for the state Panchayat polls on May 14 as a proposed date and referred the matter to a division bench hearing another case on the same issue.
A single judge bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar, hearing the case on the writ petition filed by the opposition parties objecting to the SEC’s decision to bring down the Panchayat election from three phases to one, said May 14 could be a tentative date and not the final one.
He said the Division Bench of Chief Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya and Justice Arijit Banerjee — that is hearing a case on the issue of providing adequate security during the rural council elections — will decide the final date after scrutinising the SEC’s report regarding security arrangements.
The Division Bench would next hear the case on May 4.
Welcoming the court’s observation, the Party of Democratic Socialism that filed the petition before the single bench said such a verdict would relieve those who were constantly under attack of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress and reinforce people’s faith in democracy.
It also questioned how the SEC could decide to go for a single phase election with the same number of state armed forces available to them.
The BJP also termed the verdict as historic and said the SEC is repeatedly getting exposed before the court for working to please the state government and the state ruling party.
“The SEC has not ensured any security for the voters and opposition party activists even after the court’s order. They arbitrarily fixed the date of election and did not hold any meaningful discussion with the opposition parties regarding the necessary security. Their misconduct has been exposed,” state BJP President Dilip Ghosh said.
Trinamool Congress counsel Kalyan Banerjee, however, said the opposition parties’ ploy to defer the polls has fallen flat.
“PDS tried to impress upon the court for defering the May 14 poll, but the court did not oblige.
“The parties like PDS are non-existent. They are trying to get some mileage by moving court and then coming to the media,” said Banerjee, also an MP.
–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.