National
CPI-M protests in Tripura over cuts in Centre’s MGNREGA share
Agartala, Sep 14 (IANS) The ruling CPI-M on Thursday organised sit-ins across Tripura to protest against what it said were “huge cuts” in fund allocation by the Centre for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme.
“We have been forced to launch the agitation against the huge cut in Centre’s share in MGNREGA funds. The sit-ins were held in all 58 blocks in the state,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar told the media here.
He said that CPI-M leaders Gautam Das, Rama Das, Narayan Kar and Pabitra Kar addressed the protesters in different blocks.
Gautam Das said that Tripura led in providing jobs under MGNREGA in the past but the Centre had sharply reduced its share in the scheme in the 2017-18 fiscal, forcing the north-eastern state to ensure work only for a maximum of 42 days this year.
As a result a serious job crisis has emerged in rural Tripura where no big and medium industries exist.
Bijan Dhar said that all states in the country were facing a similar situation but no political party other than the CPI-M was raising the issue or asking the central government to act in a more considerate manner on the MGNREGA scheme.
The MGNREGA, introduced in February 2006 by the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, mandates 100 days of work in a financial year to at least one member of each rural household.
The scheme aims to generate rural assets and create rural infrastructure like roads, ponds and water reservoirs.
The CPI-M has demanded an increase in the number of work days to 200 under the scheme and a hike in wages to at least Rs 300 per day.
According to state government officials, Left-ruled Tripura had occupied the top spot in providing jobs under MGNREGA for seven consecutive years till 2015-16 fiscal, but slipped to second position (after Mizoram) with 79.88 person days per household in the last fiscal.
The state has been able to provide only 22 days of work during the current fiscal.
–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.