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Construction of strategically important Rohtang tunnel completed: Jaitley

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New Delhi/Shimla, Feb 1 (IANS) The construction of a tunnel under the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh, one of the country’s strategically most important defence infrastructure projects, has been completed, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday.

“To secure India’s defences, we are developing connectivity infrastructure in border areas,” he said in his speech presenting the Union Budget 2018-19.

“Rohtang tunnel has been completed to provide all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. Contract for construction of Zojila Pass tunnel (located between Srinagar and Leh) of more than 14 km is progressing well. I now propose to take up construction of tunnel under Sela Pass (in Arunachal Pradesh),” he said.

Officials involved in the construction of the 8.8-km horseshoe-shaped Rohtang tunnel, an engineering marvel that will ensure all-weather connectivity to the landlocked Lahaul Valley from tourist resort Manali, told IANS the tunnel’s excavation was completed in October last.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a wing of the Defence Ministry that is constructing the tunnel, aims to open the Rohtang tunnel, which was earlier scheduled to be completed by 2015, for traffic in 2019.

The project is being executed by the BRO in collaboration with Strabag-Afcons, a 60:40 joint venture between Strabag SE of Austria and India’s Afcons Infrastructure Ltd.

Once ready, the Rohtang tunnel will be a boon for the cold deserts of Himachal’s Lahaul Valley, where over 20,000 people remain cut off from the rest of India in winter owing to the closure of the Rohtang Pass, located about 50 km from Manali and a major attraction for both domestic and foreign tourists.

Besides reducing road distance by approximately 46 km and saving travel time of about four hours, the tunnel will open up new vistas of trade and tourism and generate jobs for the locals.

The tunnel will provide ample room for two-way traffic and is designed to cater to a maximum vehicular speed of 80 km an hour.

The Rs 1,495-crore tunnel’s foundation stone was laid by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on June 28, 2010, in the picturesque Solang Valley.

Official sources told IANS the delay in the tunnel construction led to a cost overrun of over Rs 400 crore.

The Rohtang Tunnel is a key element in the Defence Ministry’s attempts to make the entire 475-km-long Manali-Keylong-Leh highway, used by the armed forces to reach forward areas in Ladakh bordering China and Pakistan, motorable round the year, said officials.

The strategic importance of the Manali-Leh link was realised by the Indian government almost a decade ago when Pakistan tried to cut off the Srinagar-Leh road during the Kargil conflict, in a bid to restrict road access to Ladakh.

Currently, the movement of armed forces to the forward areas in Ladakh from Manali side, that doesn’t fall in the firing range of Pakistan forces, is feasible only from June to mid-December.

–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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