National
18,1452 villages to be electrified by March 31, 2017: Minister
New Delhi: The target of supplying electricity to nearly 18,500 villages in the country that do not have power connection will be met by March 31, 2017, a year ahead of schedule, Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.
“Till yesterday (Wednesday), we had electrified 6,020 villages out of 18,452,” Goyal said while addressing a session on energy at the Raisina Dialogue here, a global conclave on geopolitics and geo-economics organised by the ministry of external affairs and the Observer Research Foundation.
“We want all 18,452 villages to get electricity by March 31, 2017,” he said.
In his Independence Day speech last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that all 18,452 villages in the country where electricity poles and cables have not reached would be electrified within 1,000 days or around three years.
Goyal said that “rural electrification soldiers” were overseeing this process. “They are young people going around monitoring the progress of the work,” he added.
“By May 1, 2018, we will take electricity to every home in the country.”
The minister criticised the target set by the UN in its sustainable development goals (SDGs) which has fixed 2030 as the target year for providing electricity to all the people in the world.
“It should be done much faster than that (2030). Why should the people wait for 15 years for electricity?” Goyal asked, remarking that it was very sad and unfortunate that such a long target has been fixed for this basic facility for the common man.
He urged all countries in the world to work together to achieve the UN SDG target much ahead of schedule.
Pointing out that in India, there were more than 18,000 villages still without electricity, the minister said Prime Minister Modi has set a target to provide access to affordable housing, toilet, electricity, digital world (mobile plus internet), healthcare and education to all the people in the country.
The minister said the government has been able to produce electricity at a much lower cost, helping save Rs.180,000 crore annually.
It has also worked out a plan to increase power from renewable sources.
“We are increasing our renewable energy sources five-fold from about 34 GW last year to by about 175 GW by 2022. And to reach this goal, every part of the action and plan has been worked upon,” he said.
The minister said for the government, both energy efficiency and energy security are important, but priority wise, security came first and efficiency later.
With the theme of “Connecting Asia” this year, the flagship conference called Raisina Dialogue 2016 is designed to explore and examine the prospects and opportunities for Asian integration as well as Asia’s integration with the larger world.
More than 100 experts from 35 countries, including from the US, Germany, Britain, China and Japan, participated in the three-day event that concluded on Thursday.
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.