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HC quashes aide’s appointment; Amarinder asks AG to examine order (Lead)

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Chandigarh, Jan 17 (IANS) In a major blow to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday set aside the appointment of his Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, holding it ultra vires of the Constitution.

Amarinder Singh, in response, directed state Advocate General Atul Nanda to examine the judgment and suggest further legal remedies.

Justice Rajan Gupta ruled that the retired Indian Administrative Service officer was holding the post “in violation of Article 166 (3) of the Constitution” and thus the appointment was “null and void”.

Suresh Kumar is considered close to Amarinder Singh and is seen as the most powerful man in the state after him.

An official spokesperson said on Wednesday that the Chief Minister has asked Nanda “to analyse the court’s order in detail and ascertain the grounds cited by the judges to quash Suresh Kumar’s appointment”.

“The detailed judgement would be examined and further legal avenues would be explored to decide on the future course of action,” he said, adding that both the central and state governments have been appointing retired civil servants as Principal Staff Officers.

“The Prime Minister’s Office has a well-established tradition of over two decades of appointing retired civil servants as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Mr. T.K.A. Nair, who served with Dr. Manmohan Singh as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, was a retired IAS officer of 1963 batch of the Punjab cadre. The current Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Nripendra Mishra, is also a retired IAS officer of 1967 batch of the Uttar Pradesh cadre,” the spokesperson pointed out, adding that state governments had also appointed retired bureaucrats as Chief Principal Secretaries.

Suresh Kumar, a 1983 batch IAS officer, was appointed to the key post immediately after Amarinder Singh assumed office in March 2017. Kumar had retired as Additional Chief Secretary in April 2016.

He was earlier the Principal Secretary to Amarinder Singh during the latter’s earlier tenure as Chief Minister from 2002-2007.

A lawyer had moved the High Court last year to challenge Kumar’s appointment.

The High Court order comes as the Chief Minister, who is already grappling with controversies surrounding Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, who has since submitted his resignation. Gurjit Singh, a billionaire industrialist and also considered close to Amarinder Singh, saw his name crop up in the multi-crore rupee auction of sand mines to certain persons who he claimed were no more his employees.

Also, the Enforcement Directorate had summoned Gurjit Singh’s son Inder Pratap Singh for allegedly raising Rs 100 crore abroad without seeking permission. The Minister’s son appeared before the ED on Wednesday following the summons.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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.

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