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Congress seeks probe against Maharashtra power watchdog
Mumbai, Dec 5 (IANS) The Mumbai Congress has urged Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao to order a judicial probe into the working of Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) for its alleged nexus with power distributors.
In a letter to Rao, city Congress President Sanjay Nirupam said the MERC and Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) are “colluding to hoodwink and loot the people of Mumbai”.
“Instead of regulating and creating a healthy competition in the power sector in the state, and protecting consumers’ interests, the MERC is promoting the interests of the power distribution companies. Recently, MERC has allowed AEML to increase power tariffs in Mumbai suburbs, causing a huge financial burden on the ordinary consumers,” said Nirupam.
The letter came in the wake of a series of protests held by the Congress last week to condemn what they termed steep hikes in power rates imposed by the AEML in the past few months.
Nirupam pointed out that justifying the 50-100 per cent hikes, the AEML claimed it was due to increase in power consumption by the consumer, “which later turned out to be a lie”.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), the MERC has sent a notice to AEML that it had permitted only a ‘marginal hike’, exposing the power distributor’s lie,” Nirupam added.
He urged the Governor to instruct the MERC to send a notice immediately to AEML ordering it to reduce tariffs and refund the exorbitant amounts billed to the consumers for September, October and November.
The AEML took over the Mumbai suburban power distribution network from Reliance Energy in August, and in September, the MERC permitted a tariff hike.
The AEML claimed that the previous owners had applied for a tariff revision in December 2017 which was cleared by the MERC, but now the regulator has sent a notice to the distritbutor (AEML) seeking a reply withing 24 hours.
–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.