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Goa assembly session may see parliament-like logjam

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Panaji:  The 15-day monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly that begins on Monday could well emulate the logjam-ridden monsoon session of parliament.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led coalition is expected to take aim at the opposition with the Louis Berger international bribery scandal in which two former ministers and an Independent legislator have come in the ambit of doubt.

On the other hand, the opposition and three Independents have bandied together demanding the resignation of Industries Minister Mahadev Naik over a cheating charge.

Independent legislator Vijai Sardessai told  that the Congress and his fellow Independent legislators were working on a strategy to not allow Naik to table an annual report of the Goa State Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) Finance and Development Corporation by Mahadev Naik, under whose ministry the institution functions.

Naik has been accused of utilising a legislative privilege of a subsidised home loan and using it to purchase commercial property.

“The government has to drop the minister before the assembly session starts on Monday. We will not let him table the annual report because such a tainted minister is an insult to these communities,” Sardesai said.

Sardesai along with former chief minister Digambar Kamat and Industries Minister Churchill Alemao has been questioned by the ruling BJP and a section of the media for having allegedly sealed the Rs.19 crore consultancy deal with Louis Berger in 2010. All the three politicians have denied the allegations.

Top officials of Louis Berger have already pleaded guilty to offering bribes of $3.9 million to secure contracts in Asian countries such as India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Kuwait.

While the settlement announced by the US Justice Department did not identify the politicians and officials who were offered bribes, the documents revealed that $976,630 was paid in bribes during 2009-2010 to a Goa minister and other officials.

Louis Berger was part of a consortium that eventually won a contract to execute a multi-billion dollar water and sewerage project in Goa funded by the Japan International Co-Operation Agency (JICA).

Louis Berger in an official communication on Friday has maintained that the act of bribery was committed by rogue company officials, which had come to the fore during an internal enquiry conducted by the New Jersey-based consultancy firm.

While the Goa Police Crime branch has already registered a First Information Report in connection with the bribery case, the case has not yet been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, as promised by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

A BJP spokesperson, however, maintains that the opposition, especially the Congress party, have no right to accuse its ministers of corruption.

“The Congress scams are coming out now even when they are not in power. The Louis Berger case, in which a US court has already accepted that bribes were paid, is testament to that. Imagine what they had done when they were running the government,” BJP spokesperson Damu Naik said.

He demanded the immediate arrest and custodial probe of “anyone linked to the case”, upping the ante ahead of the legislative session.

Speaker Rajendra Arlekar 2,953 questions are expected to be answered by the treasury benches in the monsoon session.

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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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