National
Congress seeks Modi’s apology over demonetisation ‘disaster’
New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The Congress on Wednesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apology over demonetisation, saying it had dented India’s credibility and the corrupt had made windfall gains while 104 innocent people had lost their lives in the “disaster.”
In a series of tweets, Congress communications department incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala took jibes at the Prime Minister while referring to his Independence Day speech in which he had said that black money of Rs 3 lakh crore had been unearthed after demonetisation.
Surjewala cited the Reserve Bank of India’s annual report figures, which said that of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore of notes taken out of circulation, Rs 15.28 lakh crore had returned to the system by way of deposits by the public, meant that the cost of printing new currency was more than the money gained by the central bank.
“Reality-RBI data released today proves only Rs 16000Cr out of the 15.44 Lakh Cr money in circulation came back. Of this,9000 Cr still stuck. Perspective: This Rs 16000Cr is just 1% of the total notes demonetised. Rs 21000 Cr spent to recover Rs 16000 Cr!” Surjewala tweeted.
“Utterly failed #Demonetisation is nothing but a disaster in which 104 innocent people were killed while ‘Corrupt’ made ‘Windfall Gains’,” he said in another post.
Accusing Modi of obfuscation, he said figures given by RBI had “again exposed” the government, and the “demonetisation scam” had “not only dented institutional sanctity of RBI, but also credibility of India abroad”.
Demanding that Modi should apologise to the nation, Surjewala said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s prediction that demonetisation will reduce GDP by two percent had proved true and the economy “suffered due to this massive folly!”
According to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) annual report for the last fiscal, 89 million pieces of the banned Rs 1,000 totalling Rs 8,900 crore had not been returned, out of 6,700 million such notes. This amounts to 1.3 per cent of the Rs 1,000 notes in circulation before the demonetisation announcement on November 8, 2016.
–IANS
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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.