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AAP MP alleges manipulation in Rafale deal
New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh on Monday alleged massive manipulation by the Narendra Modi government in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France.
Singh told reporters here that Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre has contradicted his own statement of 2016 about the price of a single Rafale – a 4.5 generation “omnirole” combat aircraft manufactured by France’s Dassault.
“On November 18, 2016, Dr Subhash Bhamre had claimed that the Rafale was priced at Rs 670 crores with associated equipment, weapons, India specific enhancements, maintenance support and services.
“But in a written reply on March 19, 2018, Bhamre had said that the same Rafale would cost Rs 670 crore without all the associated equipment and services,” Singh said.
“Dr Subhash Bhamre is also contradicting the annual reports published by Dassault in which each Rafale aircraft is valued at Rs 1,670 crore,” he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said that he will take up the matter against the “lying central government” in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The deal for 36 Rafale aircraft for Rs 58,000 crore was finalised in September 2016 with the signing of the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) by then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian here.
Ever since the deal was signed, Congress and BJP have been at loggerheads with the Congress on Monday accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of misleading the Lok Sabha by not revealing the price of the Rafale fighter jets.
Congress Party President, Rahul Gandhi had said the price of each plane during the UPA regime was Rs 520 crore but when Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to France and “with some magic”, the price for each plane increased to Rs 1,600 crore.
–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.