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Now monitor railway punctuality, earnings with ‘eDrishti’ (Lead)
New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday launched a dashboard for passengers to keep track of train punctuality as well as other such information from anywhere in the country.
The ‘eDrishti’ dashboard has been developed by the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) and can be accessed at www.raildrishti.cris.org.in.
Launching the dashboard, Goyal said people can now track any information related to Indian Railways in a swipe – even while on the move.
They can find out about the movement of trains across the country, train punctuality, freight and passenger earnings, freight loading and unloading, progress of major projects, public grievances, details of railway stations and much more, he said.
The Railway Minister also used the occasion to harp on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “transparent government”. “We hold ourselves accountable to people’s aspirations,” he said.
Goyal said the NDA government has given its report card at the end of every year for the past five years and “now it is time for people’s mandate on the basis of these report cards”.
He added that it was this increased transparency in government procedures that had brought down the number of RTI (Right to Information) applications over the last five years.
Goyal said ‘eDrishti’ was aimed at making the Indian Railways more transparent and asked people for suggestions to improve its services.
The Railway Minister also took an apparent dig at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for criticising the indigenously built Vande Bharat Express.
“Those who are weak and don’t work hard make fun of Make in India,” Goyal said.
On Friday, Gandhi had taken a swipe at Modi’s Make in India programme after the much-publicised Train 18, rechristened Vande Bharat, broke down 200 km away from New Delhi on its return journey from the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi.
The train had been flagged off amid much fanfare by Modi from New Delhi railway station.
With regular complaints regarding the quality of food served on trains, the dashboard has also been linked to the base kitchens of the Indian Rail Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to allow monitoring of the goings-on in IRCTC kitchens through live video.
The dashboard will also provide live status of reserved and unreserved passengers travelling on trains besides providing the exact location of trains at any point of time.
Goyal also informed that the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) had signed a deal with the Maharashtra government for the redevelopment of Mumbai’s Dharavi slum.
He said 45 acres of surplus land would be given for the project on a 99-year lease.
“With this, the redevelopment of the 400-acre slum will get a boost. I grew up near Dharavi, so in a way I am repaying my debt to the place,” he said.
The Minister also referred to Bollywood movie Gully Boy, which shows the Dharavi slums, and said, “Have you seen Gully Boy? Life will be transformed there.”
“This project will open new vistas for a huge amount of slum redevelopment across the country,” Goyal added.
–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.