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Simultaneous elections will decimate the Constitution’s federal structure: DMK
Chennai, July 8 (IANS) DMK leader M.K.Stalin on Sunday said his party is opposed to the Law Commission’s proposal of ‘One India One Elections’, contemplating simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the proposal is wrong and it is against the Constitution.
Stalin said the party has sent its views to the Law Commission on its proposals.
In its submission, signed by Stalin, the DMK expressed it “whole-hearted” opposition to the proposal, terming it “a complete misadventure that will decimate the federal structure”.
Referring to the proposal of synchronising state legislature elections with 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK said: “The Working Paper does not seem to have considered that the Lok Sabha is also capable of being dissolved before its five year tenure. If such a situation were to happen, it is unclear whether all Legislative Assemblies will also be dissolved to synchronise the electoral process again.”
The party also pointed out that the Law Commission, on the request of the previous BJP led government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, studied and reported on this very same issue in its 170th Report in 1999.
“No action has been taken upon its recommendations so far. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice (which consists of all major political parties from across the country), in its 79th Report in 2015, has concluded that ‘gaining consensus of all political parties may be difficult’ and that ‘holding simultaneous elections may not be feasible in 2016 or even in a decade’,” DMK said.
The party also added that the redundant exercise of the Law Commission to produce a duplicative report that has no chances of being legislated is questionable and there is also a danger of diminishing the Commission’s credibility.
According to DMK, the cost of procuring voting machines would be about Rs 10,000 crore – recurring every 15 years whereas the entire expenditure borne by the Central government for conducting the 2014 general elections was only Rs 3,870 crore or roughly Rs 45 per elector.
“It is not clear how this can be considered ‘huge’ or ‘massive”‘or how spending thousands of crores more would be more ‘efficient’,” the party asked.
–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.