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Committed to an Assam free of illegal foreigners: Sonowal (Lead)
Guwahati, May 24 (IANS) Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said that his government is committed to free Assam of all “illegal foreigners”.
“Our government came to power on two promises — corruption-free Assam and illegal foreigner-free Assam. We are committed to fulfilling the promises,” Sonowal told the media.
He was interacting with journalists on the occasion of the completion of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government’s two years in office.
The state has been witnessing protests against the Central government’s move to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 that seeks to grant citizenship to members of the minority community from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India due to religious persecution in those countries.
While the Meghalaya cabinet has unanimously decided to oppose the new citizenship bill, the Assam government is yet to make its stand clear.
“Right now our prime concern is updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is being done in Assam under the direct monitoring of the Supreme Court. The complete draft NRC will be published by June 30. We will make our stand clear on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 after the draft NRC is published,” said the Chief Minister.
Appealing to the people of Assam not to get carried away by propaganda, he said: “We are not going to hide anything. We will take all decisions only after seeking people’s views.”
Various organizations in Assam are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 on grounds that it will legitimize lakhs of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
Sonowal said the government’s fight against corruption was on since day one.
“The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption departments have registered 66 cases against government officials since we came to power. Seventy-four government officials including two IAS officers have been arrested for involvement in corrupt practices in the last two years.
“In the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC)’s cash-for-job-scam, 41 officials were arrested including 10 state civil service officers, seven Assam Police Service officers and 11 allied services officers,” he said.
The CID had also arrested 15 public servants in the last two years for corruption, he said.
Assam witnessed a six-year-long movement between 1979 and 1985, demanding the detection and deportation of illegal foreigners mainly from Bangladesh.
According to popular belief, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 will violate the clauses of Assam Accord and grant citizenship to illegal immigrants, particularly Hindu Bengalis, who came to Assam till 2014.
–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.