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Thousands take holy dip in Godavari on second day

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Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh): Thousands of pilgrims took holy dip in Godavari river here on Wednesday as authorities took steps to improve crowd management, a day after 27 people died in a stampede.

Shaken by the tragedy on the first day of Godavari ‘maha pushkaralu’, the administration overhauled the arrangements, roping in additional police forces to control the crowds.

Staying back in the town, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu personally monitored the proceedings at six bathing ghats with top officials to avoid overcrowding at one place.

Naidu was monitoring the situation from police control room and giving instructions to officials.

Pilgrims were thronging Kotalingala Ghat since 2 a.m. The police were sending pilgrims in batches to prevent stampede. Director General of Police J.V. Ramudu was supervising the arrangements at the ghat.

The administration in Rajahmundry was able to regulate the crowds by ensuring that the pilgrims maintain queues. Officials said four lakh people took the holy dip till Wednesday noon at various ghats in this town in East Godavari district.

Naidu visited various ghats after midnight to review the arrangements. He asked officials to clear the misconception among people that the holy dip should be taken only at Pushkar Ghat.

It was at this ghat that a stampede broke out on Tuesday, minutes after Naidu along with his family members, his cabinet colleagues and VIPs took a holy dip to formally launch ‘maha pushkaralu’ – defacto kumbh mela.

The tragedy, which killed 27 pilgrims and injured 60 others, stirred Naidu, who decided to stay in the town till completion of the 12-day mega event.

The chief minister came under fire from the opposition parties, who blamed him for the tragedy and sought his resignation. The main opposition YSR Congress alleged that the entire administration was busy attending to Naidu and other VIPs while common people were made to wait for hours, leading to a stampede.

Naidu announced an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh each to the families of the dead. He also ordered judicial probe into the incident.

The authorities have identified 151 ghats for the holy dip in East Godavari district. This includes six ghats in Rajahmundry town.

There are also 129 ghats in West Godavari district. A festive atmosphere prevailed at the ghats in both the districts.

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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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.

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