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President confers Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for 2013-2017
New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) Aimed to motivate elected representatives to work better, President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday presented the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for 2013-2017.
While the 2017 Outstanding Parliamentary award went to Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader in the Lok Sabha Bhartruhari Mahtab, Trinamool Congress member of lower House Dinesh Trivedi took away the award for 2016.
The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress), received the award for 2015.
For the year 2013 and 2014, Kovind conferred the award upon former Rajya Sabha member Najma Heptulla (BJP) and Lok Sabha Member Hukumdev Narayan Yadav, also of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), respectively.
Congratulating the winners, the President said that as parliamentarians, each of them has added value to the proceedings of the House.
“They have done so while maintaining the dignity of Parliament, using their knowledge and wisdom. They have conducted themselves in a manner that is a model for other members,” he said.
The President said that the people of India, especially the poor and the underprivileged, look upon their representatives with great expectations.
“They nurture the expectation that their representatives will make every effort to improve their lives and those of their children. And for this reason, they want to see their representatives busy and relentlessly at work for the welfare of common citizens,” he said.
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan were also present in this year’s award ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament.
Established in 1992, the annual Outstanding Parliamentary Award is given to a sitting member of Parliament after considering his/ her overall contribution in the Parliament.
Announcing the 2017 award for Mahtab, Mahajan said: “He was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 from Cuttack constituency in Odisha. He is one person who never says no to any good work and he is such a sincere man, that even if he walks out of the Parliament, he will do it with respect.”
The names were shortlisted by a committee headed by Sumitra Mahajan.
She said that since “everyone looks up to us, all the elected representatives should uphold the integrity of Parliament”.
Congratulating the award winners, Modi said that their contributions to Parliament and the country would always be remembered. He added that it is an honour to work with and learn from these outstanding parliamentarians.
He further said that disruptions in Parliament usually affect the common man and the parliamentarians who represent them the most.
“It is the responsibility of the parliamentarians to ensure smooth functioning of Parliament so that every parliamentarian gets a chance to speak and thereby become part of history,” Modi said.
–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.