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Kerala to re-tender Vizhinjam port project
Thiruvananthapuram: A high level meeting chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Tuesday decided to go ahead with re-tendering to find a builder for the proposed Vizhinjam port, said a minister.
Kerala Minister for Ports K.Babu told reporters that Chandy will speak to the top officials of the companies that had earlier showed interest in building the port.
“It has been decided to re-tender the port project and it will be open for another 30 days. We will go ahead in the most transparent manner,” said Babu.
Last Friday, Kerala’s dream Vizhinjam port project received a serious setback when none of the three bidders in the fray turned up.
“We have no clue on what happened as those who had shown interest were keen to attend the tender process,” said Babu.
Tuesday’s emergency meeting was attended by Kerala Finance Minister K.M. Mani, Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty and other top officials.
The Rs.4,000 crore first phase of the project created history of sorts early this month when it became the first port project in the country to get a Rs.800 crore approval for viability gap funding from the Centre.
Several companies, including Essar, Adani Ports and a consortium of SREI and Spanish firm OHL had passed the initial muster for becoming eligible to take part in the auction.
A source in the know of things told IANS that the government will look for more bidders.
The proposed port is to come up near the famed Kovalam beach and is expected to be completed in three phases, with the first phase to be ready in 2019.
Once completed, ships with a capacity of even 18,000 TEU (twenty feet equivalent units) can dock here.
The Vizhinjam port site has a natural depth of 24 metres, one of the deepest in the world and hence requires no dredging.
The proposed port, as it is located close to the busy international shipping route, is envisaged to handle 4.1 million containers annually.
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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.