National
Maharashtra farm loan waiver: Congress demands probe into ‘ghost accounts’
New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) Terming it a scam, the Congress on Tuesday asked whether Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will order an impartial judicial probe into the 22 lakh “ghost accounts” as claimed by his government, out of 89 lakh beneficiaries meant for farm loan waiver.
“The Maharashtra Chief Minister and his government has claimed that about 22 lakh accounts meant for farm loan waiver (out of 89 lakh beneficiaries) are fake, bogus and are ghost accounts.
“The much-hyped farm loan waiver scheme announced by the Maharashtra government in June this year was expected to benefit 89 lakh farmers across the state,” said former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, noting an amount of Rs 34,022 crores was to be disbursed to the debt ridden farmers by October 31.
“The implementation of the scheme has come as a rude shock for the small and marginal farmers of the state. BJP’s deception can be gauged by the mere fact that banks (both public sector and co-operative) who were supposed to waive off the loans, were found to have inflated the number of farm loan accounts by about 22 lakhs.
“These 22 lakh beneficiaries are now termed as ‘ghost accounts’ by senior officials of the State Bank of India, as per media reports,” he added.
Chavan also said several media reports indicate that that now the actual budget for farm loan waiver has been reduced by Rs 10,200 crore to Rs 24,000 crore.
He said he had written to the Reserve Bank of India Governor, citing several instances which gave specific examples of such ‘ghost accounts’, but not received any reply.
“It is quite possible that there may be a problem in the state government’s online application process and not in the bank data. There are also issues about the uniqueness of Aadhar numbers, where several beneficiaries have said to have the same Aadhar number,” he added.
Chavan also asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “who continuously makes tall promises of doubling the farm income of farmers in his Gujarat rallies”, order a probe into the matter.
–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.