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Bengal BJP to move court against single-phase panchayat polls
Kolkata, April 28 (IANS) Terming the West Bengal State Election Commission’s announcement to hold single-phase panchayat elections on May 14 as “illegal”, the BJP state unit on Saturday said it will move the court for polls spread over three or more phases.
“This election is illegal. We will move to court on Monday. The SEC’s announcement of the panchayat polls on May 14 is completely unlawful. The polling was earlier scheduled to be held in three phases. How can it be brought down to just one phase after the filing of nominations are over,” asked BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha.
“The polling date of May 14 must be cancelled and a fresh notice issued to hold the elections in three or more phases,” he said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist and Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) have already decided to move the court on Monday on the ground that the SEC allegedly announced the election date without discussing security arrangements with the opposition parties as per the Calcutta High Court’s order.
The Bengal rural body polls were earlier slated to be held on May 1, 3 and 5.
After the High Court order, the state poll panel extended the last date for filing of nominations to April 23 and rescheduled the polling on May 14 and re-polls, if required, on May 16.
Opposition parties equivocally condemned the SEC’s decision to hold single-phase election following a meeting with State Election Commissioner Amarendra Kumar Singh on Saturday on security arrangements on the polling day.
“The SEC does not have any concrete plan on security on the polling day. It has not decided upon deployment of police and number of armed police required at polling booths. It is strange that the State Election Commissioner just inquired about our demands but did not divulge any details about his own planning,” BJP leader Pratap Banerjee said after the meeting.
Echoing the CPI-M, the Congress also criticised the state government’s decision to ask for additional forces from neighbouring states instead of asking for central forces.
“If forces are brought from other states, they should be given complete freedom to take action, whenever required. There is no point in bringing forces from outside if the local administration tries to manipulate them and do not let them move,” a Congress leader said.
–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.