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DTC to run ‘ladies special’ on route 544
New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on Tuesday announced a morning and evening “ladies special bus service” within a week after a molestation incident involving a Delhi University student on DTC bus route 544 came to light.
The decision came after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj called for an urgent meeting with the DTC, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Delhi police and the transport department on complaints of eve-teasing along Kamla Nehru and Gargi colleges’ route.
On October 3, ThePrint had reported a harrowing story of a 19-year-old psychology student of Kamala Nehru College and how, within three months of moving to Delhi, she was “molested” on a DTC bus seven times on route 544.
The report came at a time when #MeToo is flooding the social media with stories of women being harassed or molested and caught the attention of everyone on Twitter. One woman also claimed that molestation on route 544 has been happening since 1985.
Speaking to IANS, Bharadwaj, the MLA from Greater Kailash constituency, said all the girls complained of a common problem – “eve-teasing around the campus.”
“Girls from three colleges – Kamla Nehru, Gargi and Jija Bai Polytechnic – said that they face eve-teasing around the campus, on the roads and in the buses,” Bharadwaj said.
He said, people roam around the campuses in their cars and sometimes, on the pretext of asking for an address, they call the girls and “do something nasty”, following which the girls would run away. “The cars then follow the girls,” he said.
“The girls said that although the police had put barricades in the vicinity, they (the police) ignored all this,” he added.
During the meeting, Bharadwaj said, the girls demanded that a Metro feeder bus should run on the route.
“Talking to the stakeholders, we found that a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) feeder bus service called ML-74 is supposed to ply through the route. But the bus has been violating its route and travelling through another route and this is visible in DMRC’s GPS systems,” Bharadwaj, the AAP’s chief spokesperson said.
As per the demands of the students, he said, the DMRC will run a Metro feeder bus service on route 544. “Also, the Delhi Transport Authority has promised to take action against bus marshals for negligence,” Bharadwaj said.
Route 544 runs from R.K. Puram, through AIIMS and the Siri Fort Road till its terminal point at Badarpur border. On its way, it stops at prominent all-girl colleges such as Gargi and Kamala Nehru.
–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.