National
KCR meets Modi, seeks more funds for drought relief
New Delhi/Hyderabad : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and sought the Centre’s liberal assistance to tackle drought in the state.
During the one-and-half-hour-long meeting in New Delhi, the chief minister told the Prime Minister that the state had sought an assistance of Rs.3,064 crore from the Centre for drought relief measures but the Centre had so far released only Rs.712 crore.
He urged the prime minister to release the remaining funds immediately so that relief works could be taken up in the affected areas.
He outlined the immediate and long-term measures undertaken by the state government to mitigate the drought situation and sought the Centre’s assistance for both.
According to a statement from the chief minister’s office in Hyderabad, KCR told Modi that the state ensured drinking water supply, provided mid-day meals to students, input subsidy to farmers and fodder to cattle.
KCR said the state had recorded 14 percent deficit rainfall. A total of 231 ‘mandals’ in seven districts have been declared drought-affected.
The chief minister said agriculture crops over 13.52 lakh hectares and horticulture crops over 23,700 hectares were damaged. As many as 21.78 lakh farmers were affected.
The chief minister informed the prime minister that the government has taken up Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha as permanent solutions to face drought and deficit rainfall.
Under Mission Kakatiya, restoration of 46,000 tanks have been taken up while Mission Bhagiratha is aimed at providing drinking water through pipelines to every household.
KCR said the state was also building irrigation projects on Godavari and Krishna to use its share of waters in the two rivers. He said reservoirs and barrages were being built at 38 places to ensure availability of water to farmers.
The chief minister noted that Telangana received only the first installment of funds for the development of backward areas under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He sought release of the remaining funds so that they can be used for programmes like Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh and top officials were present during the meeting. KCR was accompanied by Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and Revenue Secretary B.R. Meena.
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.