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Portfolios for Karnataka ministers after taking oath: Congress
Bengaluru, June 4 (IANS) Portfolios for the cabinet ministers in the Karnataka coalition government would be allocated after their swearing-in on Wednesday, a Congress leader said on Monday.
“All the 32 legislators — 21 from the Congress and 11 from the JD-S — will take oath as cabinet ministers. Their portfolios will be allocated by the Chief Minister later,” state Congress spokesman K.E. Radhakrishna told IANS here.
As decided by the alliance partners on June 1, the Congress will have 22 portfolios, including Home and the JD-S 12, including Finance.
Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress state unit president G. Parameshwara were sworn-in on May 23 as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.
Tthe Congress high command will decide who among its legislators are to become ministers and which portfolio they will hold.
“Parameshwara is going to Delhi on Tuesday to finalise the 21 legislators of the Congress to be inducted into the ministry in consultation with party President Rahul Gandhi and state in-charge K.C. Venugopal,” said Radhakrishnan.
The party’s high command will also recommend to the Chief Minister the portfolios to be given to the 22 Congress ministers, including the Deputy Chief Minister.
Similarly, Kumaraswamy will decide names of the JD-S legislators to be made ministers and the portfolios they will hold by Tuesday night in consultation with party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and other senior leaders.
“Kumaraswamy will discuss the issue with all our legislators on Tuesday morning and short list the names of 11 MLAs to be made ministers and their portfolios. The list will be finalised in consultation with Gowda by Tuesday night,” a JD-S spokesman told IANS.
As per the agreement between the alliance partners, the Congress will have besides Home, Irrigation, Bengaluru City Development, Industries, Health, Revenue, Urban Development, Rural Development, Agriculture, Medical Education, Housing, Labour, Women & Child Welfare, Forest & Environment, Mines & Geology, Social Welfare, Food & Civil Supplies, Law & Parliamentary Affairs, IT, BT and Science & Technology, Kannada Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs, Haj & Wakf and Minority Affairs, and Ports & Inland Transport Development departments.
Besides Finance, the JD-S will have Excise, Information, Intelligence, General Administration, Planning & Statistics, Public Works Department (PWD), Power, Cooperation, Tourism, General Education, Animal Husbandary & Fisheries, Horticulture & Sericulture, Small-Scale Industries, Transport and Minor Irrigation.
In the 225-member Assembly, including one nominated, the Congress has 78 MLAs, JD-S 36 and the BJP 104, with three others.
Though the Congress retained Bengaluru’s Raja Rajeshwari (RR) Nagar assembly segment in the election held later, it lost its legislator Siddu Nyamgouda in a road accident in Bagalkot district.
Election to one assembly segment (Jayanagar in Bengaluru south) is due on June 11 and vote count on June 13 after it was deferred owing to the death of BJP contestant B.N. Vijaya Kumar on May 4.
Kumaraswamy has already won the trust vote on May 25 by voice vote in the Assembly a week after the three-day BJP government fell when its Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa resigned before the floor test as he fell seven votes short of the halfway mark.
–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.