Top News
Cabinet nod for agreements with four nations for urban development
New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the agreements inked by India with four European countries — France, United Kingdom, Denmark and Netherlands — on sustainable urban development as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet ‘Smart Cities’ project.
For each of the four agreements, a Joint Working Group will be set up to strategise and implement programmes on cooperation under the MoU framework. The group will meet once a year, alternately in India and the partnering country.
The agreements aim to promote technical cooperation in the areas of sustainable smart cities development, waste management, affordable housing, intelligent transport systems, research and development, spatial planning and mobility management, the Cabinet note said.
The official statements on the four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), signed in March and April, said the deals would help create employment in the areas of smart cities development and related areas mutually agreed upon with each of the four countries.
“The objectives of the agreements are to promote technical cooperation in smart cities development, development of urban mass transportation systems, urban settlements and utilities (water supply and sewerage), disposal and treatment of solid waste,” said the Cabinet note on MoU with France for five-year period.
Other areas of cooperation are related to landfills, management of non-revenue water, water recycling, technology transfer, conservation of fresh water by artificial recharge of aquifers, circular economy, mass and green housing, urban planning, heritage, human resource development and capacity building.
The MoUs with UK and Denmark are similar in terms of areas of technical cooperation in the field of sustainable and smart urban development. With UK, the areas of cooperation includes skill development, urban mobility and innovative access to finance.
With Denmark, the deal is aimed to promote institutional cooperation, research and development, and commercial relations on related issues. And, the areas of cooperation include re-development and land use, energy efficiency and resource mobilization
India and Netherlands will cooperate in spatial planning, water management and mobility management on the basis of equivalence, smart city development, heritage conservation, geographical information system for water supply and sewerage, among others.
–IANS
mgu/tsb/vm
Top News
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.