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President Kovind to visit Mauritius, Madagascar
New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) In tune with India’s increasing focus on the Indian Ocean region, President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on a five-day visit to the island nations of Mauritius and Madagascar from March 11, it was announced on Friday.
While he will visit Mauritius from March 11 to 14, he will be in Madagascar on March 14-15.
Briefing the media here, Sanjay Panda, Joint Secretary (Indian Ocean Region) in the External Affairs Ministry, said Kovind will attend the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of independence of Mauritius.
He said the diaspora linkage is a very important part of bilateral ties with Mauritius which is home to a large number of ethnic Indians — mostly descendants of indentured labour taken from India to work in the sugarcane plantations there.
Panda said there has been qualitative improvement of India’s ties with Mauritius in recent times after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to that country in 2015 set the ball rolling.
In the last two years, India and Mauritius have signed a double taxation avoidance agreement and New Delhi $353-million economic package.
Panda said that four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed between the two countries during Kovind’s visit.
The President will meet the leadership of the island nation and also interact with the Indian diaspora.
He will inaugurate the World Hindi Secretariat that has built with India’s assistance.
The visit to Madagascar will be the first ever by an India VVIP since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1954.
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and is nearly the size of France.
According to Neena Malhotra, Joint Secretary (East and South Africa) in the External Affairs Ministry, the island nation off the coast of east Africa is rich in natural resources and is the world’s largest producer of sapphires.
She said that Kovind will hold talks with his Malagasy counterpart Hery Rajaonarimampianina.
Malhotra said that India is keen to expand naval and maritime cooperation with Madagascar and India has expanded lines of credit in the past.
There is 15,000 to 20,000-strong Indian community in that country and Kovind will meet their representatives.
This is the second foreign visit Kovind is undertaking after assuming office last year. In October 2017, he visited Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Ashok Malik, Press Secretary to the President, said it was no coincidence that both times Kovind has gone to Africa and reflected the importance India was attaching to the region.
The President will be accompanied by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey and four Members of Parliament during the visit.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.