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Odisha government to open seven non-captive mines
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick on Wednesday said an inter-departmental committee has recommended the opening of seven non-captive mines in the state.
Mallick said the leaseholders would be asked to sign supplementary lease deeds after approval from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to open these mines.
These mines are RB Das mines, Tarini minerals, BC Mohanty mines, Tata Sukinda mines, Gitarani mines, TP Mohanty mines and Gandhamardhan mines whose lease would be extended under the new Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015.
Recently, an inter-departmental panel headed by Development Commissioner U.N. Behera had examined the applications of eight iron and chrome ore mines and decided to recommend opening of seven mines to the state government.
Meanwhile, 21 leaseholders have signed supplementary lease deeds with the state government for opening their closed mines. The government has collected Rs.895 crore as stamp duty and registration fee.
“Out of the 29 mines earlier recommended for operation, 21 have signed lease deeds so far. Tata has sought extension of another two months to sign the lease deeds,” said Mallick.
The government had allowed the lessees to sign the supplementary lease deeds within three months with all statutory clearances.
The captive mines would be allowed to operate till March 2030 while non-captive mines would operate till March 2020, according to the amended MMDR Act.
Three mines applying for first lease renewal would be recommended for extension for 50 years, said sources.
In another development, the government decided to soon fix the ceiling price for mineral transportation in each mineral-producing district of Odisha.
Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi said the department received a report from the transport commissioner over fixing of ceiling price for mineral transportation in the districts of Angul, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar, Jajpur and Sundergarh.
A technical committee headed by the collector was constituted in each district to fix the ceiling price for their respective districts.
Meanwhile, about 30,000 truckers in Keonjhar and Sundargarh are protesting the fixing of ceiling price for mineral transportation.
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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.