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Delhi Assembly passes resolution for stopping sealing drive; Kejriwal seeks ordinance (Lead)

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New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The Delhi Assembly on Friday passed a resolution demanding to stop the ongoing sealing drive in the city and also to de-seal already sealed shops, while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal batted for a bill or an ordinance in the Parliament to maintain status quo for two years.

The sealing drive — being carried out by the three BJP-led city municipal corporations under the guidance of a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee — is against business establishments using residential properties for commercial purposes and those which have not paid conversion charges.

In his speech during the discussion on the sealing drive, Kejriwal said: “A bill or ordinance should be brought in the Parliament to maintain status quo for two years and make sure no sealing happens. By that time we will resolve the issue. Sealing has to be stopped. The situation is very bad.”

He said that this would give enough time for different authorities to fix the “complex issue”.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Saurabh Bharadwaj and others also voiced similar views.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said he had written a letter to Modi, seeking time to discuss the matter but got no reply.

“I wrote to the PM seeking time on sealing issue, but he never responded. It is a two-minute job for him (to solve this crisis),” he said.

Kejriwal accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress for not taking corrective measures in their tenure to fix the issue.

He reiterated that he along with the traders will sit on hunger strike if the issue of sealing drive is not resolved by March 31.

BJP’s O.P. Sharma said that they will resolve the issue by March 31, while his party colleague Majinder Singh Sirsa put the onus on the Delhi government and said that first, the house should pass a bill against the sealing drive.

He also said that the issue of sealing should be raised in the Supreme Court by top level lawyers.

AAP’s Somnath Bharti said that the BJP was supporting sealing to make way for shops to be set up under Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), an allegation earlier levelled by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

The resolution was moved by Bharadwaj and it urged the Central government to take all possible steps, including bringing a new bill or amending existing laws in the ongoing budget session of the Parliament, to halt the sealing drive.

“Not only are the MCDs (municipal corporations) resorting to sealing of commercial establishments… but Delhi Police has also been unleashed to terrorise innocent traders and their family members which was seen in full force in Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar recently,” the resolution said.

“Now therefore, this House strongly condemns the use of force and brutalities committed on innocent traders and their families.”

Blaming the BJP-led municipal corporations and the Delhi Development Authority, which is under the Central government, for the sealing drive, the resolution said that the drive was a “direct consequence of the negligence and inefficiency” of both agencies.

The Monitoring Committee was set up by the Supreme Court in 2006. In 2012, the apex court asked the committee to halt the drive. But, in December 2017, it ordered resumption of the drive.

–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

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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.

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