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Committed to total prohibition, says Chandy
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Wednesday reiterated that the aim of his government is to achieve “total prohibition” in the state within a 10-year period.
Chandy was replying to a motion given notice by the Left opposition in the assembly.
“You need not have any apprehension that we are going to dilute the liquor policy. Our aim is to achieve total prohibition in a period of 10 years,” he said.
Chandy said the state government was currently working on certain corrections in the liquor policy declared Aug 21.
CPI-M legislator A. Pradeep Kumar sought leave for an adjournment motion stating that the ruling UDF meeting Monday had entrusted the state government with the task of diluting the liquor policy.
“Instead of total prohibition, you should concentrate on reducing liquor consumption through awareness. We can discuss on bringing a system of liquor rationing so that those employed in the liquor industry do not lose their jobs,” said Kumar.
State Excise Minister K. Babu said the sincerity of the Congress-led government towards liquor is very clear.
He accused the Left government of sanctioning 152 new bars when it was in power during 2006-11.
“…We gave sanction to just 60 out of which 39 were given after the court intervened. You increased the blending capacity of distilleries, but we did not and instead we doubled the daily permit fee for serving liquor from Rs.25,000 to Rs.50,000,” he added.
He said his government reduced the quantity of liquor that an individual can possess from 2.75 litres to 1.5 litres.
Leader of Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan, however, did not agree and led the opposition walk out from the house.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) meeting Monday gave the nod to the Chandy government to make necessary corrections in the liquor policy which has drawn a lot of criticism in the state.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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.