National
Maharashtra BJP leader smells a rat in Mantralaya rodent-killing contract
Mumbai, March 22 (IANS) In an embarrassment for the Maharashtra government, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former minister Eknath Khadse on Thursday sought an enquiry into a rat-killing contract awarded to rid the state government headquarters, Mantralaya of the rodent menace.
Demanding the probe to see how it was executed, he wondered how the contractor could kill a whopping 319,400 rats in just one week – between May 3-10, 2016.
“According to a survey, there were some 319,400 rats in Mantralaya for which a work order was issued by the General Administration Department (GAD). The company was given six months time, but it claimed to have eliminated all the rats in just seven days,” Khadse told the legislative assembly.
Interestingly, the GAD is headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
In contrast, the senior BJP leader pointed out that it had taken the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) two years to kill only 600,000 rats in the city.
Elaborating on the Mantralaya rat-killer contractor, Khadse said the figures indicate they killed 45,628.57 rats per day, or a stupendous 1,901.19 per hour.
“This also means the contractor killed 31.68 rats every minute. Their weight was around 9,125.71 kgs and daily one truckload was required to take the dead rats out of Mantralaya. However, it is not yet known where these dead rats were disposed. Will the government show us where the remnants were dumped,” he said, raising guffaws among the legislators on both sides.
He even jocularly remarked that instead of hiring a private contractor for the job, the government could have just deployed 10 cats to finish off the rats.
The former minister asked whether the contractor had permission to use the rat poison on the high-security Mantralaya premises and wondered 84-year old farmer from Dhule, Dharma Patil, had consumed the rat poison to commit suicide in the Mantralaya precincts in January.
Incidentally, according to information available, the BMC pays Rs 18 to kill one rat to its contractors to rid the city of the rodent menace.
On an average the civic body shells out around Rs 4 to 5 crore annually for the exercise carried out manually by the exterminators using a torch and a stick, as the rats are responsible for several health hazards, especially during monsoons.
By this figure, the Mantralaya contractor may be entitled to a whopping Rs 5.70 million for the weeklong contract to free the building of rats.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
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.