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Election candidates must declare offshore assets now
Kolkata, March 1 (IANS) Candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will have to declare their offshore moveable assets and liabilities in their affidavit, as per an amendment made by the Election Commission of India (ECI), an official said on Friday.
“To ensure that all moveable assets are reflected in the affidavit given by the candidates, a further category ‘offshore assets’ has been included for details of deposits of all assets and liabilities in foreign countries,” Additional Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, Sanjay Basu told reporters.
He said Form 26 has been amended to ask candidates to submit a statement of their income tax (I-T) returns for the last five years while they earlier had to file a statement of their (I-T) returns for just one year.
Alongside details of spouse and three dependents in the family, a new row has been inserted bearing the title Hindu Undivided Family for PAN details and status of I-T filing.
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer of the state will convene a meeting with all political parties regarding the changes, he said.
Chief Electoral Officer of Bengal, Aariz Aftab said as per the ECI guidelines this year all polling stations will have voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) along with the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The VVPAT will allow the voter to see whether the paper trail displays the same choice that he/she had pressed in the EVM.
Another major change is that both candidates and political parties can spend up to Rs 10,000 in cash. Any expenditure above this has to be made in electronic mode like RTGS or by cheque, draft, etc, he said.
“As far as donation is concerned, candidates cannot take more than Rs 10,000 in cash. Even in this case, anything above this amount has to be in electronic form,” he said.
The ECI has launched a new GIS-enabled mobile application called ‘cVIGIL’, which creates a fast-track complaint reception and redressal system.
“Using this app any citizen can either take a photograph or make a two minute video if they see any violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) or expenditure and upload it,” he said.
Aftab said no content must be uploaded from phone memory, only live photo or video can be shared. A person can do it anonymously or share personal details and he/she will be updated about the status within 100 minutes, he 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.