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UP sand mining case: ED summons IAS officer Chandrakala
New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday summoned senior IAS officer B. Chandrakala for questioning in connection with an illegal sand mining case in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
Chandrakala, the former District Magistrate of Hamirpur district, has been summoned for questioning to the ED office in Lucknow, a senior agency official told IANS.
A CBI FIR on which the ED based its case has alleged that Chandrakala as the Hamirpur District Magistrate had granted several lease in violation of the Allahabad High Court orders which had ratified an e-tender policy.
Beside, Chandrakala, the financial probe agency has also summoned three more people, including the Samajwadi Party MLC Ramesh Kumar Mishra for questioning on January 28.
The ED summon comes a day after it registered a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case in connection with its ongoing probe into illegal sand mining and role of bureaucrats and politicians in Uttar Pradesh.
On January 5, the CBI had raided Chandrakala’s homes in Lucknow and Noida and seized two bank accounts and one locker, besides recovering some documents. Mishra’s house in Kanpur was also searched.
It was on January 2, when the CBI had registered the case against 11 people, including Chandrakala, miner Adil Khan, geologist/mining officer Moinuddin, Mishra and his brother, besides Sanajy Dikshit who contested the 2017 Assembly polls on the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket and his father.
The then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had granted the mines leases to 14 people in 2013 in Hamirpur district against the High Court’s order.
On January 7, the CBI released a list of 22 leases cleared by the Samajwadi Party chief, who was also the Mining Minister during that period, and was later succeeded by Gayatri Prasad Prajapati.
–IANS
aks/in
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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.