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Thousands of commuters suffer as Haryana Roadways staff strike work
Chandigarh, Aug 7 (IANS) Thousands of commuters faced inconvenience or were forced to cancel their travel plans as Haryana Roadways staff struck work on Tuesday to press their demands.
As inter-city public transport services were badly affected, people were forced to pay higher or even exorbitant fares to operators of private buses and taxis to reach their destinations.
Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar warned that services of drivers still on probation will be terminated if they joined the strike.
He claimed that the state government is taking all possible steps, including operation of more buses on different routes, to ensure that commuters did not face difficulties.
Panwar said he had held a meeting with union leaders 15 days ago, wherein 33 of their 34 demands were accepted and the employee leader had even thanked Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the gesture.
The striking staff are opposing the alleged move to privatise public transport services, which the Minister denied.
“There is no proposal to privatise roadways services. Apart from government buses, 950 buses of cooperative societies are plying smoothly in the state at present. I am in constant touch with officers. The state government is making concerted efforts to ensure that people do not face inconvenience,” the Minister said.
As for roadways staff’s fears that the state will hire 720 buses and privatise the Transport Department, Panwar clarified: “Drivers of 720 buses to be hired will be deputed by bus owners whereas conductors will be deployed by the department. Permits will be issued by the Transport Department and the General Managers concerned will have full control over them.”
“The sale of tickets will be done by the department. Therefore, the question of privatisation does not arise,” he added.
He said that the decision to hire buses was taken by the state Cabinet in the interest of passengers.
“Under this scheme, 53 transporters had approached the department. About 33 lakh persons avail of transport facility daily in the state. The Transport Department services only 12.5 lakh persons. There is need to run about thousands of buses every day, but the state is unable to purchase such a large number of buses at one go,” the Minister said.
“The Haryana Roadways has a fleet of 4,100 buses. The state government added 600 buses to the fleet in 2017-18 and decided to add 650 more during 2018-19. The Chief Minister has approved this proposal and the matter will now be sent to a High-Power Purchase Committee.”
Panwar said every year about 250 to 300 buses were junked after remaining on road for seven years or after covering eight lakh kilometres.
–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.