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SC seeks response from Centre, EC on curbing black money in polls

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New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Centre, Election Commission and others on a public interest plea seeking “expeditious and stringent” steps to curb bribery and black money in the election process.

Besides the Centre and the Election Commission, the bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice K.M. Joseph and Justice Hemant Gupta also sought response from the Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes and several states including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Union Territory of Delhi and others.

The PIL petitioner was represented by advocate D. Mahesh Babu and Sravan Kumar.

The petitioner Kaka Rama Krishna, secretary, Andhra Pradesh unit of Communist Party of India (CPI) has contended that if the role of bribery and black money was not curbed in the election process, it “may end up being plutocracy.”

The PIL petitioner has contended that due to inaction of the authorities and the Election Commission, “not a single candidate has been disqualified for spending money in excess to the limit fixed by Election Commission of India or about Rs 1,000 crore seized between 2014 to 2018 during elections by the Election officials.”

He cited two former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and S. Sampath writing to the Centre reiterating the Election Commission’s proposal to “combat the menace of bribery at elections.”

Pointing to the “financial might” of the each vote, the PIL petitioner says that total expenditure in 2018-19 Union budget is Rs.2,920,484 crore. Total Number of eligible voters in 2014 was 81.45 crore.

Every vote, whether exercised or not, authorized expenditure of Rs 35,856 just in one year.

If only polled votes of 66.38% are considered, it shoots to Rs 54,000 per vote, says PIL.

Pointing to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the PIL says that for five years (2019 to 2024), every vote could be authorizing an expenditure of about Rs Rs 2 lakh by the elected representatives.

–IANS
pk/prs

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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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