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15th Finance Commission would not like to penalise performing states: Singh
Chennai, Sep 6 (IANS) The Finance Commission would not like to penalise states that have performed well on various development parameters, a top official said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters here 15th Finance Commission Chairman N.K. Singh said its endeavour is to ensure states that are better performing to improve further while those lagging behind in development are helped to touch the national average.
He was here for deliberations with the state government.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami told the Commission that the state has serious concerns on the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission.
“I wish to reiterate that we oppose the use of 2011 population data. It would punish progressive states like Tamil Nadu which have achieved success in population control through their own efforts,” Palaniswami told the Commission.
“I urge the Commission to make ‘population control’ one of the points for devolution, with as much weight as ‘population’. I also request that for the purposes of devolution, 1971 data be adopted by the Finance Commission,” he said.
Palaniswami also expressed the state government’s opposition to the reference to control of expenditure on so-called populist programmes.
The Chief Minister said that the term “populist” is a subjective term which has a very fine line of difference with popular schemes.
According to Singh, West Bengal, Odisha and Punjab have said that the population data of 1971 be adopted but the Commission has no say in the formulation of its ToR.
Chief Minister Palaniswami told the Commission that Tamil Nadu’s share in devolution has fallen in all recent Finance Commissions. Tamil Nadu has lost Rs 6,000 crore per annum in the 14th Finance Commission, casting a doubt on the fairness of the whole system in the mind of people.
Singh said the 15th Finance Commission will continue to be impartial to central and state governments.
Tamil Nadu is the 8th state with which the Commission is having discussions, he added.
He said the Commission’s recommendations will be given by October 2019.
–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.