National
SC reserves order on Agusta copter purchase (Lead)
New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its order seeking a probe into alleged irregularities in the purchase of AgustaWestland helicopter for VIPs in 2006-07 and the foreign bank accounts purportedly linked to the son of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.
A division bench of Justice A.K. Goel and Justice U.U. Lalit reserved the order after hearing arguments from the Chhattisgarh government and petitioners NGO Swaraj Abhiyan and T.S. Singhdeo, the Leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Assembly.
The court said it was concerned whether any “fraud” was committed while purchasing a VIP AgustaWestland helicopter.
“What is the interest of Abhishek Singh, who also happens to be the son of the Chief Minister, in this? You have to satisfy us on that,” the bench said.
The court also told the state that: “We are not saying why did you purchase this helicopter and not (any) other. But if there is a doubt about any financial fraud that you have to explain.”
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing Chhattisgarh state, denied the allegations, calling them “reckless”.
He added that it was a “politically motivated petition” and filed to maligned the reputation as elections were due in Chhattisgarh.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, told the bench that a bank account in the name of Abhishak Singh was opened in July 2008 in British Virgin Islands, and on August 1, 2008, one of the firms which was purportedly involved in the deal was wound up.
He alleged that there was a strong possibility that the money paid as commission in this deal has ultimately reached the foreign bank account.
Bhushan added that a proposal of the state in December 2006 said that there should be open bid to purchase helicopter and helicopter firms should be invited but no company was called and a tender was issued only for a AgustaWestland chopper.
An extra amount of $1.324 million was paid to a firm, Sharp Ocean, over and above the cost of the helicopter which was $5.246 million, said Bhushan.
While Chhattisgarh paid $6.57 million for the purchase of the helicopter, Jharkhand paid $5.591 million for the chopper bought at the same time.
He also told the court that the documents received under the RTI show that although the Bell helicopter was denied a bid, the government was still hiring it on rent.
The Chhattisgarh government, however, told the court that there was nothing wrong in the bid and that at present 24 AgustaWestland helicopters were flying in the country.
The state said it needed night fly chopper with four persons sitting capacity and low maintenance cost, and Agusta helicopter was best option at the time.
–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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