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Defence, aerospace MSMEs outraged over contract cancellation
New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) The Modi government has allegedly cancelled orders worth thousands of crores of rupees with the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the defence and aerospace sector in India, bringing these units at the brink of a closure that may cost 300,000 jobs.
Agitated over the move, members of the Federation of MSME Vendors of Defence and Aerospace told reporters here on Wednesday that the move belies Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on “Make in India” and self reliance in defence manufacturing.
“This move shall bring these units at the brink of closure and shall further result into unemployment of approximately 300,000. Of these 180,000 are associated with various ordnance factories and almost similar number with employment being provided by MSME companies. (This) will cause wide scale of bank defaults amounting in crores of rupees,” said federation president Neeraj Raizaida.
There are 6,000 MSME units associated with defence industry. Eighty per cent of sub parts and complex assemblies of defence supplies are manufactured in MSME sector. according to a study.
He said the reason mentioned in the government communication to these unis was that the ultimate users of defence products — the Indian armed forces — for which they used to procure these items have curtailed down their requirements.
The allegations came amid parliamentary reporting findings that the Indian armed forces were facing a severe shortage of funds and were not able to maintain their stockpile of ammunition. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman however has repeatedly rejected these charges, saying the government faced no crunch and the forces were adequately armed to face any emergency.
Raizaida said the government orders had created a lot of furore in the MSME sector — considered one of the mainstays of the Indian economy. He said orders had already been placed by the MSMEs for raw material and advance payments made before the letters cancelling the contracts arrived.
“There shall be a very wide scale of macro- economic catastrophe. Raw material orders have been placed and advance payments made” which has blocked huge working capital, he said.
“We have approached the Ministry of Defence, the PMO, but there has been no response so far. We will file a PIL in the Supreme Court if the government does not attend to our complaint,” said Raizaida.
According to the federation, the reason mentioned in the government communication is that “ultimate users (i.e Indian armed forces) for which they used to procure items have curtailed their requirements”.
–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.