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‘Durable rehabilitation policy needed for border enclave dwellers’
Kolkata: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, a report released by a leading think tank stressed on the need for a durable rehabilitation policy for the people residing in border enclave enclaves.
India and Bangladesh are set to ink the long-awaited Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) during Modi’s visit to the neighbour nation and the highlight of prime minister’s Dhaka visit beginning June 6 is the LBA pact.
The historic LBA provides for transfer of 111 adversely held enclaves with a total area of 17,160.63 acres t Bangladesh, while Dhaka is to transfer 51 such enclaves with an area of 7,110.02 acres to India.
Over 51,000 people reside in these enclaves and are now virtually stateless.
According to the ‘India-Bangladesh Connectivity: Possibilities and Challenges’ report released by the Observer Research Foundation here, the execution of the agreement needs a lot of consideration since, according to the agreement, the two countries will be able to exchange enclaves located in each other’s territory.
This inevitably calls into question the process of rehabilitation of the people who have been residing in these enclaves.
“Since India will receive more enclaves from Bangladesh, more people will be entering the country. Therefore, there needs to be a proper and durable rehabilitation policy for these people so that they can be assimilated quickly with as few hassles as possible,a the report said.
Supervised by Rakhahari Chatterji, researched by Garima Sarkar and authored by Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhary and Pratnashree Basu, the report assesses the benefits and adverse impacts of cross-border connectivity, keeping in mind the complex issues of security, environment, displacement and rehabilitation.
Shedding light on the LBA, it said the deal is expected to offer a better quality of life to the people who, till date, did not enjoy basic human rights including access to schools, hospitals and other basic amenities. These people were stateless, for all intents and purposes, the report said.
“The problems related to the demarcation of the maritime boundary were recently put to rest by the verdict of the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration, which awarded Bangladesh 19,467 sq. km of the 25,602 sq. km sea area of the Bay of Bengal, which India gracefully and readily accepted,” the authors noted.
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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.