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Trapped miners: SC wants status report on progress of rescue work in Meghalaya

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New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and Meghalaya to file a status report on the steps taken to augment the operations to rescue 15 miners trapped in an illegal flooded coal mine, observing that the authorities failed to make serious efforts in the beginning.

The miners are trapped since December 13 in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills.

The bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer said the status report will centre on the steps mentioned in the letter issued by the office of Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills District that was addressed to Meghalaya’s Additional Chief Secretary seeking release of funds for the rescue operations.

The court said the report should be filed on January 7, the next date of hearing.

As Solicitor General (SG) Mehta said that the mine is illegal, Justice Sikri said, “Why should poor workers trapped in the mine suffer? You take whatever steps you want to take against the owner of the mine.”

Apprising the court about the difficulties being encountered in the rescue operations, Solicitor General Mehta said spread over 5 km, the mines are 325-ft deep — equal to a 25 storey building — and there is a maze of rat-hole mines and no one knows where these holes lead to.

He said water was not receding as these mines are located near the Lytein river. So, despite pumping out water, seepage from the river forces more water into the mines, which again has to be drained out.

When the court asked if the seepage could be stopped, Solicitor General said the mines are located 10 feet below the river.

The SG said since the mines are illegal, there was no blueprint of their structure and layout which is normally the case with legal mimes approved by competent authorities.

Mehta told the court that there was no parallel between the rescue of the members of junior football team who were trapped in a cave in Thailand and the tragedy in Meghalaya.

–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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