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Road safety activists urge passage of Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill
New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) A coalition of road safety organisations on Friday called upon the Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to take urgent steps to ensure the listing and passage of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, 2017 in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
The Road Safety Network, a national coalition of road safety NGOs, said in a statement that it has been in constant touch with officials of the Ministry as well as opposition Members of Parliament for the passage of the Bill but it seems the government has other priorities.
“What is most troubling is that more than half-way through the session, the Bill has not even been listed even once,” said Piyush Tewari of SaveLIFE Foundation.
“The opposition is concerned about some of the clauses in the Bill but are in full support of the provisions that will strengthen road safety,” said Ranjit Gadgil of Parisar.
“Sadly, there seems to be no effort on the part of the Ministry to iron out the differences and ensure passage of the Bill,” he said.
A statement issued by the coalition said it is a cause of concern that the World Health Organisation’s “The Global Status Report on Road safety 2018” pegs annual road crash fatalities in India at almost three lakh — highest in the world.
“This is a staggering number given that India has only 2 per cent of the global vehicle population,” said George Cherian of CUTS International, a member of the coalition.
The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill is seen as a much-needed fix for the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 whose “outdated provisions are failing to ensure strong enforcement and deterrence of egregious traffic violations”, the statement said.
The Bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha but is stalled in the Rajya Sabha.
The opposition has demanded that Gadkari clarify the stand of the government on many of the contentious clauses that relate to the privatisation of public transport and what are seen as dilution of state rights and a potential revenue loss for the state exchequer.
“It is quite inexplicable that the Minister has suddenly lost interest on this matter of national importance,” said Sumana of Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), a Chennai-based NGO working on road safety.
“Earlier it was a priority, especially after the death of senior BJP leader and Cabinet Minister, Gopinath Munde, but now road safety does not seem to be on his (Gadkari’s) mind. It is believed that without the support and push by the Minister, the bill will not pass in this session and thus lapse. If that happens, it will be a big blow to the cause of road safety,” stated the coalition.
“We call upon Mr Gadkari to deliver on his promise to the nation to make the country’s roads safer by ensuring passage of this bill in this session of Parliament,” it added.
–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.