National
Drug smuggling on rise along India-Bangladesh border: BSF
Agartala: Drug smuggling has increased along the India-Bangladesh border while the vigil along the frontiers has been tightened to curb it, a top BSF official said here Friday.
“BSF (Border Security Forces) troopers have seized and destroyed drugs and cannabis plants valued at Rs.270 crore along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura,” Inspector General B.N. Sharma told reporters.
He said: “Since 2012, over 1,017,255 cannabis plants valued at Rs.255 crore have been destroyed along the border with Bangladesh.”
The seizure of drugs has been rising along the border, he said and added the BSF also seized a huge quantity of contraband valued at Rs.36.52 crore.
Plantations of cannabis are done on a large scale in the interior and inaccessible areas of the border region. Since most of these plantations are tucked away in hills and forests, government agencies have a tough time to detect and destroy them.
According to officials, a large number of villagers in Tripura cultivate cannabis and smuggle it to Bangladesh to earn money.
“There is a huge demand for cannabis in Bangladesh, and Tripura plays a key role in meeting this demand,” the official said.
India has been erecting barbed wire fence and putting up floodlights along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram to check trans-border movement of militants.
“Around 90 percent of the Tripura borders has been fenced and floodlights put on to check crimes, infiltration and trans-border movement of militants,” Sharma said.
He said: “CCTV (close circuit television) cameras are being installed in BOPs (border outposts) and biometric devices are being used for better management.”
The BSF official said the paramilitary forces have been setting up of composite BOPs along the border to provide more facilities to guards.
“At least 64 composite BOPs would be set up along the 856 km India-Bangladesh border with Tripura. At least 22 such BOPs have already been set up and work on the remaining is in progress,” Sharma said.
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.