National
Gujarat debts mount to Rs 2.43 lakh crore in 4 years
Gandhinagar, March 28 (IANS) Total public debt of Gujarat has reached Rs. 2.43 lakh crore — an increase of Rs. 77 crore or 46 per cent — over the last four years, a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report revealed on Wednesday.
The CAG report was tabled in the assembly on the last day of the Budget session by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the Finance portfolio.
According to the report, the state’s debt increased from Rs 1.66 lakh crore in 2012-13 to Rs 2.43 lakh crore in 2016-17.
The Finance Minister, however, said that as almost all the major projects taken up by the government were nearing completion, from now onwards, the state’s debt would see a decline soon.
During the last five years, the interest payments increased from Rs 12,161 crore to over Rs 17,797 crore and the state spent a total of Rs 74,536 crore towards payment of interest — about 16.40 per cent of the revenue receipts, the report said.
While the state paid an average of 7.68 per cent as interest on its borrowings during the period, it earned only 0.21 per cent return on its investment of Rs 77,833 crore in several options as on March 31, 2017.
According to the report, the state’s pension liabilities were also higher than the designated provisions under the Fiscal Responsibility Act. It stood at Rs 11,303 crore or 10.29 per cent of the revenue receipts.
Despite the state government’s tall claims of spending an increasing sum of money on developmental works, the CAG observes in the report that the state spent less. Against the total provision of Rs 1.60 lakh crore during 2016-17, the state spent only Rs 1.36 lakh crore, with the government claiming a saving of Rs 23,585.67 crore.
Of the 77 working PSUs in the state, 54 earned a profit of Rs 3,647.96 crore but the state received a meagre Rs 110.10 crore by way of dividend, it pointed out. Also, 11 of the 77 PSUs saw their networth erode by Rs 13,277 crore towards the end of March 2017.
The opposition Congress raised the pitch against tabling of the CAG report on the last day of the session, saying that the state government wanted to hide its inadequacies.
“We have been demanding that CAG reports be tabled in the beginning of the session, so that we can discuss any lacunae highlighted by the CAG. It would have also given the state government opportunity to come clean on any insinuations against it,” Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani said.
–IANS
amc/nir
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.