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Major scam in water conservation plans: Gujarat Congress
Gandhinagar, May 22 (IANS) Paresh Dhanani, the Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly, on Tuesday alleged a major scam by the BJP government in the water conservation schemes carried out in the state since 2006 until recently.
The Congress leader has alleged that thousands of crores of people’s hard earned money found its way into Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders’ pockets.
The Leader of Opposition came down heavily on the state government’s schemes for water conservation, including “Sujalam Sufalam Scheme” launched by the Vijay Rupani government on Gujarat Foundation Day — May 1 — this year.
Dhanani told the media: “Despite clear guidelines from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) that the water conservation structures should be of sustainable nature, crores of public money was wasted on creating ‘bori bunds’ (sand-filled sacks stacked to form a temporary wall to create reservoirs).
“Specific instructions were given by the Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the Chief Secretary of the state, under direct orders from the then Chief Minister and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to utilize maximum MGNREGA funds for the purpose as also the state rural employment funds.”
Between 2006-07 and 2017-18, according to Dhanani, around 10,29,778 such bori bunds were created with MGNREGA funds utilized by the Roads & Buildings, Irrigation, Agriculture, Water Resources and Forest departments of the government.
With an average of Rs 10,000 per bori bund, over Rs 1,000 crore was spent over creation of the temporary structures, he said.
“I challenge the BJP government to show me one functional bori bund anywhere in the state and I will resign from my post. I allege that a massive corruption has taken place in the water conservation schemes,” he added.
–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.