Dubai Based Billionaire Ropes In India's Metro Man E Sreedharan To Rebuild Flood Ravaged Kerala
Kerala, August 25: Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, a Dubai based Indian origin billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist who had earlier pledged Rs 50 crores to rebuilt flood ravaged Kerala has got one of India's most respected infrastructure experts to do the job.
Shamsheer, the founder and managing director of UAE-based VPS Healthcare said India's Metro Man E Sreedharan will be joining their task force to rebuild Kerala.
#MetroMan - Dr. E Sreedharan, we are humbled and delighted that you are joining our Task Force for #Kerala in spite of your busy schedule. Your experience and insights will be invaluable in helping shape the #recovery, #rebuilding and #rehabilitation programs. #rebuildingKerala pic.twitter.com/Jcgr1tyOdF
— Shamsheer Vayalil (@drshamsheervp) August 22, 2018
According to Shamsheer, Sreedharan will be a part of the group's activities related to rebuilding and rehabilitation in Kerala.
The announcement comes at a time when Kerala is trying to recover from the worst flooding in nearly a century which battered the entire state for nearly two weeks.
Though the flood waters have more or less receded, the damages suffered to the infrastructure is enormous.
AFP
Across the state, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have taken a massive hit and it is estimated that it will take at least a good few years to restore them and expenses running into thousands of crores.
Earlier, announcing a Rs 50 crore package for the state, the 41-year-old Kerala-born businessmen said the group will work in partnership with key stakeholders, including local authorities, and experts – in education, health care and housing — to use best practices and innovative strategies to ensure these vital ecosystems can recover quickly and efficiently.
He had also indicated that the money will be spent throughout the state and certain areas have already been identified for immediate help.
Shamsheer who is estimated to be worth $1.5 billion is regarded as one of the richest Indian businessmen in the Middle East.
Earlier this year Shamsheer and his wife Dr. Shabeena joined The Giving Pledge, a campaign founded by Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, to encourage the wealthy to contribute their wealth towards philanthropy.
He is also the son-in-law of MA Yousuf Ali, a successful Malayali businessman in the Middle East and the chairman and managing director of Lulu group who himself has donated Rs 5 crore to the flood relief in Kerala.
Courtesy: www.indiatimes.com
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
