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Karnataka speaker to decide on Lokayukta ouster move: CM
Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka on Sunday said it will wait for the legislative assembly speaker’s ruling on opposition lawmakers’ move to oust the Lokayukta following a bribery charge against his son.
“It is for Speaker Kogadu Thimmappa to decide on the opposition move to remove Lokayukta Justice Y. Bhaskar Rao, though we have set up a special team to probe the graft charges against some officials in the institution and a Rs.1 crore bribe charge against his son Ashwin Rao,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters on Sunday.
About 60 Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-Secular legislators jointly submitted a memo to the speaker on July 3 for Rao’s removal under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984, which empowers the state legislature to do so.
“We will abide by the speaker’s decision, as we are not protecting anyone and will allow the law to take its course. As per the Act, the house only has the power to remove the ombudsman. It is also up to Rao to decide whether to step down or not,” Siddaramaiah said on the margins of a function here.
Opposition leader and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar of the BJP said corruption charges against the very institution that was set up to check graft was a body blow to democracy and weakens the crusade against such crimes.
“As Rao failed to prevent some Lokayukta officials and his son from being accused of taking bribes, he should step down till the probe is completed or the state government should ask him to support our demand,” Shettar told reporters after a party meeting.
The state legislature’s 10-day monsoon session is on since June 29 at Belagavi, 510 km from Bengaluru.
According to the speaker’s office, the business advisory committee will decide on Monday on the admission, discussion and ruling upon the opposition’s plea.
The opposition members had also submitted a similar memo on June 2 to legislative council Chairman D.H. Shankaramurthy for Rao’s ouster.
The state government had set up the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 30, under Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kamal Pant on the ombudsman’s request on June 29 after city crime branch Joint Commissioner M. Chandra Shekar on June 27 declined to conduct the probe, as his father-in-law was facing a Lokayukta inquiry in a corruption case.
The Karnataka High Court on July 1 also allowed the SIT to conduct the probe and stayed an internal inquiry ordered by Upa Lokayukta Subhash B. Adi against some unidentified officials in the anti-graft watchdog and Ashwin Rao on a report by Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang in May.
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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.