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‘NSC final authority, NITI Aayog has no role in statistics’
New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) P.C. Mohanan, who resigned from the National Statistical Commission (NSC) last month over the government “withholding” the report showing high unemployment rate during 2017-18, has said the commission is the final authority on the NSSO report and the NITI Aayog should not have got involved.
The former head of the NSC, also dismissed the NITI Aayog’s claim that it was a draft report and was not ready for release as the “government had not approved it”. He said that the NITI Aayog’s argument was “unacceptable”.
“Once the report is approved by the commission, it is known as the final report. You cannot say it has to be approved by the government. You accept it or reject it. But the government cannot approve the statistics. It raises certain questions of credibility,” he told NDTV.
“The Commission is the final authority on the NSSO report. After that, the NITI Ayog getting involved is not a very desirable thing. Previous chairmen of the commission have also said that the NITI Aayog cannot be in the picture of releasing the official statistics. They are the users of the data and cannot get involved.”
He said it was important for the commission that its autonomy was maintained.
Mohanan also said that the government’s unwillingness to release the report was “the last straw”, forcing him to step down.
“Over the years, we have seen recommendations of the commission are not taken seriously. In the 2017-18 report, we clearly mentioned that we are pained that the government is not taking seriously the recommendations of the commission.”
Mohanan also made it clear his resignation was not due to personal reasons as stated by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar.
“In my letter, I made it very clear I have specific instances and we thought our continuing in the commission was not serving any purpose because the commission was not very effective and there’s nothing personal in that. The government should take note of the issues and improve the system. And (J.V.) Meenakshi, who resigned along with me, also said the same thing,” Mohanan said.
He said he had flagged the delay in the report’s release, but got no response from the government.
–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.