National
BJP let four private firms squander Rs 26,000 crore in Gujarat power scam: Congress
Ahmedabad, Nov 30 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday alleged that the BJP government in Gujarat had let four private companies — Adani, ESSAR, Tata and China Light Power — to “squander” Rs 26,000 crore of the public exchequer by purchasing electricity from them at “unimaginably high rates” in a “huge power purchase scam” in the state.
“The BJP government’s motto appears to be let four private electricity companies profiteer! Let people and exchequer suffer,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a statement issued here.
He said the “shocking revelations of profiteering” by the four private companies in Gujarat reek of a “huge scam in power purchase” that also “exposes the absolute falsehood and claims of power surplus state”.
Surjewala said state-owned power plants had a capacity to generate 8,641 MW of electricity but still “they operate at an abysmally low level of 33 to 38 per cent of their capacities over the last three years”.
The Gujarat government was only producing 3,283 MW power from the state-owned power plants, he said.
“And who is benefiting from that? Only four private power companies Adani, ESSAR, Tata and China Light Power from whom expensive power is purchased at the cost of people of Gujarat,” the statement said.
“Shockingly, the BJP government of Gujarat has been purchasing power from private companies at unimaginably high rates of Rs 24.67 per unity as the government-owned NTPC was supplying electricity to it at rates of Rs 2.88-3.17 per unit.
“This proves the systematic undermining of power infrastructure by the BJP in the state.”
The statement alleged that “culture of crony capitalism perpetuated, propagated and promoted by the BJP government can be gauged from that the fact that in the last three years alone, the BJP government purchased electricity worth Rs 26,195 crore from the four companies”.
Subsequently, the statement said, Adani had been paid Rs 10,896 crore, ESSAR Rs 4,282 crore, Tata Rs 8,491 crore and China Light Rs 1,966 crore from 2013-16.
–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.