National
SC slams misuse of construction workers welfare cess
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday told the state governments not to collect cess under the statue for the welfare of the construction workers if they were misusing it for other purposes, instead of using it for its stated objective.
Taking exception to the manner in which the fund collected for the welfare of the construction workers was being misused for publicity and other administrative expenses, the social justice bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said that it would be better not to collect the cess and have the fund.
The court asked the central government to tell it on September 4 – the next date of hearing of the matter – the plan of action for the utilisation of the fund meant for the welfare of the workers in construction industry.
Describing it as “ridiculous” and a state of affairs which “can’t go on”, the court noted that Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have furnished all the information except its utilisation involving the welfare of the workers and their families’ including their health and education.
The court had on July 31 sought information from these states on the use of cess collected under the the Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act 1996 and the 1998 rules by the central and state governments.
The court’s indignation came on the non-utilisation of Rs.27,000 crore that have been collected under the law and related rules.
Noting that successive governments in Delhi over the years had spent Rs.2.7 crore from the fund for the publicity, the court ordered the Delhi government to put back the money into the corpus meant for the welfare of the workers.
A similar attempt to present a rosy picture claiming that a funds has benefitted “thousands of worker” was short-circuited as the court asked Uttar Pradesh counsel to name ten workers who were the beneficiaries of the fund.
The court asked Uttar Pradesh to provide the list of some of such beneficiaries along with their addresses in the next hearing on September 4.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.