National
Budget is against poor, favours corporates: Chidambaram
New Delhi: Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram Saturday slammed the Union budget saying it was against the poor, had “cruel cuts” in allocations for weaker sections and favoured corporates.
Chidambaram told reporters here that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had left the economy on way to recovery but Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had not acknowledged this in his budget speech.
“Unfortunately, the government refused to acknowledge the fact,” Chidambaram said.
He said the additional borrowing by the government will not go in plan expenditure but in non-plan expenditure.
“Quality of a government is how much it is able to account for plan (expenditure),” he said.
He said the way the government “had bid goodbye to Planning Commission” it may “bid goodbye to plan itself”.
Chidambaram said the budget had “cruel cuts” in allocations for the weaker sections.
He said allocations under some programmes such as scheduled caste sub plan, integrated child development services and national social assistance programme had come down compared to the current fiscal.
“There have been unjust cuts in these programmes. What is the government’s leaning,” Chidambaram asked.
He said the government’s response to the poor seems to be that they should wait for growth to pick up and its effects to trickle down and fend for themselves till then.
“It goes against the ethos of the country. You must lean in favour of the poor. We do not find (that),” he said.
Chidambaram said poor sections do not get any relief in the budget but will be paying more taxes.
He said the budget was in favour of corporates and beginning next year, the corporate sector is slated to get a relief of Rs.20,000 crore every year.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.