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SC caps petcoke import for aluminium, calcining industries
New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday restricted the import of petcoke by the aluminium industry to 0.5 million tonnes and for the calcining industry to 1.4 million tonnes per year, making it clear that imported petcoke will only be used as feedstock.
A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta restricted the import even as senior counsel Kapil Sibal and P. Chidambaram urged the limit be relaxed.
However, they settled for the limit as their plea was opposed by amicus curiae Aparajita Singh and the court said that it will hear the matter if they wanted imports above the limit.
Earlier, the amicus curiae informed the bench about the clearance given by court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
The court earlier relaxed a ban on the use of petcoke by permitting its use in the cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification industries.
The court in its July 26 order said: “… this will be in compliance with the WTO norms. These industries may be permitted to import petcoke for use as a feedstock or in the manufacturing process and not as a fuel.”
The court on Tuesday also sought a response from Benguluru-based Graphite India, directing it to file an affidavit on “why the use of calcined petcoke should not be stopped by it with immediate effect.”
The court had, by its September 6 order, permitted Graphite India to use petcoke for three months with a caveat that it will not compromise on emission standards.
The court was informed on Tuesday that the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority had taken up the matter with Graphite India and with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and it was informed by the company that the Whitefield plant was using Indian petcoke and not imported one.
The amicus curiae told the court that because of the use of petcoke, thick layers of black dust were settling on exposed portions of houses in the plant’s vicinity.
She also urged the court to consider the issue of regulating import and use of petcoke.
–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.