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RTC buses go off roads in Telangana, Andhra
Hyderabad: Public transport services in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh remained paralysed on Wednesday as over one lakh emoloyees went on a strike, forcing about 20,000 state-owned buses off the roads in the two states.
All long-distance buses and city services came to a grinding halt across the two states, causing severe inconvenience to passengers.
In Andhra Pradesh, a total of 10,576 Andhra Pradesh Transport Corporation Service (APSRTC) buses went off the roads while in Telangana 9,370 buses were confined to depots.
Students, office goers, holidayers and pilgrims in Tirupati were hit hard by the strike.
The employees went on strike from midnight, demanding 43 pay revision at par with the other government employees in the two states.
The APSRTC management has turned down the demand citing poor financial condition of the organisation and also the bifurcation process which is under process.
The management is trying to use the services of contract employees to operate some services. This led to a clash between striking employees and the contract workers in some parts of Telangana.
Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) in Hyderabad, from where thousands of buses are operated everyday to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and other neighbouring states, wore a deserted look.
Hundreds of commuters were stranded at the MGBS, Jubliee Bus Station in Secunderabad and bus stations in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati and other places.
As many as 3,500 buses went off the roads in Greater Hyderabad.
APSRTC managing director N. Sambasiva Rao said the demand for hike in wages can be met only by increasing the bus fares by 15 to 20 percent.
He also said it was not possible to meet the demand at this stage as the APSRTC is to be bifurcated into two units for the two states from May 14.
Telangana’s Transport Minister Mahender Reddy has appealed to the employees to call off their strike in view of the hardships caused to people, adding that the RTC was making efforts to operate partial services.
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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.