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Air India revival package to be ready soon: Minister

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Kolkata, Oct 1 (IANS) The Centre is working on a revival package with four elements, including financial assistance for Air India, and it will be made ready for approval soon, Union Minister of State for Aviation Jayant Sinha said here.

“Air India is on its way to become a strong, vibrant and globally competitive airline. We are working on the revival package for Air India which has four elements,” he said.

The Minister said the package includes financial assistance to support the airline, undertaking of a series of reforms to ensure that it is a professionally managed company, strategy to make it successful and competitive and also series of measures to improve conditions for the workforce.

“The revival package is in its final stages. As part of the revival package, we are also looking at what we should do financially for Air India. The timeline is to do it as soon as possible. These are complicated and detailed work that we have to do,” he said.

On whether the government is considering putting a cap on air-tickets when aviation turbine fuel price is increasing, he said, “There is no proposal for any cap on the prices (air tickets). Under the deregulation, airlines are free to set the prices.”

For certain types of aircraft, there are certain shortages of pilots-in-command (i.e. captains), he said on the sidelines of the 187th Annual General Meeting of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce.

Under the regional connectivity schemes, many flights originating from unserved or under-served airports are started coming to Kolkata airport and new flights under the Udan (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme would also start coming, he said, adding that 33 airports have been opened in the last few years largely because of the Udan scheme.

There is Rs 1 lakh crore of investments in the pipeline for airports in the next five years, the minister said, adding that today, there are 220 million passenger air trips a year and there are plans for a billion trips per year.

Speaking on the capacity expansion of the Kolkata airport or a new airport in the city, Sinha said, “We are working with the state (West Bengal) government to see what we can do to expand the airport capacity in Kolkata and that includes both expanding the capacity of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport as well as considering and evaluating suggestion for a second airport.”

For Design and construction of any airport, it is important to be able to acquire land and that takes a lot of time in a densely populated area, he said, adding that around 1,000-hectare land is required for a large-scale international airport.

“Acquisition of land for public services of this sort is a decision of state government…air traffic in Kolkata and in the state is growing. We need to add significant capacity for an international airport here,” he added.

— 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

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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.

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