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Railways to upgrade 1st AC coaches of 7 trains
By Anand Singh
New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) After the success of Project Utkrisht (best) and Operation Swarn (gold) to provide more premium feeling to the passengers travelling in the national transport, railways has decided to facelift the first-class air-conditioned coaches of seven mail and express trains, a Railway Ministry official said on Sunday.
“The first train with the new plush interiors has been taken up in the Kashi Vishwanath Express,” said a senior railway ministry official, adding the new renovated coach has been added to the train departing from New Delhi on Sunday.
The new features in the coach include new anti-grafitti vinyl wrapping interiors, new curtains, properly worked out bathroom even with the option of taking a shower, he said.
The official said that the PVC flooring has been changed.
He said the compressed berth cushions have been replaced and fire extinguishers installed in the coach for enhanced safety.
Good quality curtains too have been provided in the coach.
The official said the stairs of the first-class coaches have also been worked to provide more comfort to passengers.
He said the bathroom has been fitted with high-gloss mica having the marble design on long journeys.
However, the official refused to share the name of the other trains which are set to get the upgrade under this majore facelift programme.
Last year, the railways took up the work of upgrading its existing fleet of Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express under operation Swarn.
Operation Swarn was undertaken by railways with focus on 10 key areas — punctuality, cleanliness, coach interiors, toilets, catering, staff behaviour, security, entertainment, housekeeping and regular feedback.
Under this, the Railways has planned to spend Rs 50 lakh on each train. The Rs 25-crore venture covers 30 trains in total – 15 Rajdhani and 15 Shatabdi Express trains.
Under Project Utkrisht, the railways planned to upgrade about 140 rakes of the trains in the first phase that would be completed by March 2019.
The railways has planned to upgrade about 500 rakes on the trains that still runs on the old Integral Coach Factory design in the second phase.
Under Project Utkrisht, railways has granted Rs 60 lakh per rake to upgrade its interiors and exteriors.
The dustbin of the coaches would be provided with the garbage bag coach and toilets, PVC flooring will be changed in case it is damaged, and faded coach panels will be replaced. The roof of the coach will also be repaired wherever required.
(Anand SIngh can be contacted at [email protected])
–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
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.