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Akhilesh, staff damaged residence before vacating it: Officials
Lucknow, June 9 (IANS) Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s palatial government bungalow was vandalised and many structures were razed to the ground before it was vacated on the direction of the Supreme Court, officials of the estate department said on Saturday.
With the keys of the sprawling house handed over to them on Friday, a team of ‘Rajya Sampatti Vibhaag’ went to the 4, Vikramditya Marg residence on Saturday only to see how badly the 45-year-old Samajwadi Party (SP) chief had left his house, apparently in anger of having to leave a house built under his watch at an exorbitant cost of Rs 42 crore. Officials photographed the house.
Officials told IANS that barring a marble temple in one corner, the entire house had been damaged. Expensive floor and wall tiles, laminations, marble slabs have been damaged beyond repair and electricity switch boards and switches ripped off.
All the air-conditioning ducts in the centrally air-conditioned house, which was rebuilt and renovated by the then SP government at the fag end of its tenure, have been plucked out.
The all-weather swimming pool has also been filled with sand. This pool had imported tiling which has all been broken, an official told IANS.
Iron angles can be seen protruding at various places and many gates inside the house have also been damaged.
Tiles of the badminton court, nets, walls have been ripped off and all the ACs, TV, furniture, fans have also been shifted out, the official said, pointing out that they will now check the inventory of the stuff sanctioned in the name of Yadav and will cross check it with what is left behind.
As soon as pictures of the damaged house came out in public domain, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and SP leaders engaged in a verbal spat.
Rakesh Tripathi, spokesman of the ruling BJP, said the “mindset and the culture” of Yadav had been exposed now. “The entry of the estate department officials has exposed the opulence of the Yadavs and also how they wasted public money.”
Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’, SP spokesman and a close Yadav aide, claimed there was a conspiracy in leaking pictures of the former Chief Minister’s residence but did not have an answer to why the posh property was damaged.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav, talking to reporters in Vrindavan, where he was on a day-long visit with his family, warned officials, saying governments come and go and advised them “not to do things like this”.
“I have seen officials pick up cup and plates, they should not get into such behaviour,” he 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.