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Macron appoints loyal backer as Interior Minister (Lead)

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Paris, Oct 16 (IANS) French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday named Christophe Castaner, one of his main backers, as the new Interior Minister, replacing Gerard Collomb in his latest Cabinet reshuffle.

In a statement, the President’s office said that “following the proposal of Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, the President of the Republic … named Christophe Castaner as Interior Minister”.

Castaner had been Macron’s spokesperson during his campaign for the presidential election in 2017, before being appointed Secretary of State for parliamentary relations, Xinhua news agency reported.

In Macron’s first Cabinet after the election, 52-year-old lawyer Castaner was named leader of the ruling camp “Republique En Marche” party. He also served a few months as the government’s spokesman.

The nomination of Castaner came after Collomb announced in September that he would quit the government in mid 2019 to run for the Lyon municipal elections in 2020. He served as Lyon’s Mayor from 2001 to 2017.

On October 3, Macron accepted Collomb’s resignation after initially refusing it and asked the Prime Minister to handle the interior portfolio until a successor was announced.

In the latest Cabinet reshuffle, the fourth since he took power in May 2017, Macron had brought in new names with different political views with which he hoped to regain his footing and inject fresh impetus into his ruling camp.

Among the newcomers, socialist Didier Guillaume was named Agriculture Minister, replacing Stephane Travert. Marc Fesneau, President of the centrist MoDem group at the National Assembly, will take charge of parliamentary relations.

Meanwhile, Macron kept the main figures of the ministerial team in place for 16 months with Jean-Yves Le Drian still overseeing the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Bruno Le Maire remaining in charge of the Economy Ministry.

Dogged by opponents for having a vertical, monarchical way of governing and a reputation for arrogance, Macron suffered a further setback after a series of resignations that put his political craftiness into question.

Collomb was the third minister to step down in five weeks after the resignations of Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot and Sports Minister Laura Flessel.

A BVA poll released in September showed 32 per cent holding a favourable view of Macron, down by two percentage points for the third consecutive month.

The new Cabinet will hold its first meeting on Wednesday.

–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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