National
Opposition attacks Kerala CM over suicides of pensioners
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 30 (IANS) The opposition in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday attacked the Pinarayi Vijayan government over the delay in pension to former employees of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), which has seen 10 suicides in the past 20 months.
The Congress-led opposition pointed out that the beleaguered pensioners of the state-owned corporation numbering 39,045 have not been paid for the past five months.
Chief Minister Vijayan told the House that the KSRTC is going through tough times financially and has an accumulated loss of Rs 7,966 crore.
“While in office, the Congress-led UDF did not do anything. This government is trying its best to undertake a revamp of the corporation in a phased manner and is confident of financial improvement after implementing the recommendations made by Sushil Khanna (IIM-Calcutta faculty),” said Vijayan.
Seeking leave for motion, former Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan reminded Vijayan of the promises he made ahead of the assembly elections including that they will ensure the pension is paid on time.
“During our time (2011-16) when pension payments were delayed by a month, you created a furore.
“You promised in your election manifesto that there would be no arrear in pension payment, but it has fallen flat. In the past 20 months, since you assumed office, 10 former KSRTC employees or their kith or kin have committed suicide,” said Radhakrishnan.
He also said that it is surprising to hear from Vijayan that they are going to implement the recommendations by Khanna who has asked for the sale of the fixed assets of KSRTC to the tune of Rs 915 crore and has also recommended raising the retirement age to 60 years.
“We wish to know if you are going to accept these recommendations which are against your ideology. We wish to know when the Budget for the next fiscal is presented in a few days from now, will you ensure that appropriate Budget provisions for payment of pension are included in it.
“When we were in office we had a proper system but you revamped that and now pension has not been paid for five months,” he said.
Vijayan said their policy and ideology will not be compromised.
“We have almost come to an understanding with a consortium of banks, led by State Bank of India, that have agreed to provide a fresh loan of Rs 3,250 crore by restructuring existing loans to the KSRTC by revising its interest rate.
“Once that is done, we are certain that all issues will be sorted out and we expect that the KSRTC will be able to meet the payment of pensions from its own generated funds,” said Vijayan.
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the biggest problem the KSRTC faces is this is the third minister who is handling this portfolio.
“Today it’s handled by Vijayan who is otherwise burdened with 32 different departments, the highest by any Chief Minister in the country, and hence he has neither time nor interest to look into the affairs of the KSRTC.
“The pensioners have been protesting before the State Secretariat for a month and Finance Minister Thomas Issac is absent today as he knows he will be taken to task,” said Chennithala.
In a related development, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the KSRTC authorities to see that the financial position is not an excuse to not pay the pension as these former employees worked hard when they were in service, and pension is their right.
–IANS
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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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