National
GST Council’s Guwahati meet key as it will review GST regime: Assam Minister
Guwahati, Nov 6 (IANS) The forthcoming meeting of the GST council meeting scheduled to be held here on Friday is extremely important as it will review the new tax regime, introduced in July this year, said Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Addressing a press conference here, he said a meeting of Finance Department officials from around the country will be held on Thursday, ahead of the GST Council meeting which will be chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday.
“The meeting assumes significance for several reasons. First it will be the first review of the three months of implementation of the new tax regime. Several committees like the composition committee, the rationalization of rates committee and the GST network committee will submit their reports in the meeting and it will be discussed,” Sarma said.
“A total of 24 states have confirmed their participation in the Guwahati meeting of the GST Council. While the Finance Ministers of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh cannot come due to elections in the state, we are yet to get confirmation from states of Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura,” he said.
The Chief Ministers of Bihar and Manipur will represent their states, he said adding that Puducherry will also be represented by its Chief Minister.
“There will be around 200 dignitaries visiting the state on Thursday and Friday including the ministers and top bureaucrats from all these states. We are also going to organize visits of these VVIPS to Kamakhya temple and the Kaziranga national park depending on their preferences and likes,” said the Minister while adding that the state machinery is fully geared up to host the prestigious event.
Asked about the performance of Assam, the Minister said that its growth is encouraging as the state’s revenue rose from Rs 330 crore in August to Rs 486 crore in October this year.
–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.