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Varun sends cheque to ailing party leader |
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The Indian Express
Lucknow, September 1, 2010
In a humanitarian gesture, BJP MP Varun Gandhi sent a cheque of Rs 1 lakh for the treatment of an ailing party leader here.
Varun, who is projected by BJP as the young face of the party had visited ailing Ram Kumar Singh during a visit to Lucknow on August 11.
Yesterday, Varun, extending his concern, sent a cheque through a delegation led by state unit secretary, Gopal Tandon for the treatment of the octogenarian.
During his visit, Varun had asked his party workers to take care of aged and helpless workers and office bearers who had contributed towards building the party.
"Varun has been enquiring about the old and ailing party workers in Hathras and other places but this is the first time he has taken any such initiative at the state level and it is a symbolic gesture which needs to be followed by the other party workers also", party spokesman Vijay Pathak said.
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Developmental Work Done in Pilibhit in The Past Year |
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1. Have started a system of mobile ambulances in each block centre in Pilibhit (there are 12 block centres in total), making it the ONLY constituency in India to . The idea is to take healthcare provisions to the poorest person in the society. Each ambulance has one doctor, one nurse and one compounder. Not only do these ambulances provide healthcare to those in need, there and then, but in case of serious illnesses, they also act as ferries to the nearest district hospital.
2. Pilibhit is the only district to be awarded for afforestation (conversion of bare land into forest area) by the Uttar Pradesh government. We buy trees and give them to the village pradhans to grow them. Have planted fruit growing trees along the river banks - this has acted as protection against river overflow.
3. Pilibhit is also the only district in Northern India that has been declared an animal reserve.
4. Kendriya Vidyalayas usually admit children of people in the Indian defence services, police and all central government employees. In Pilibhit, there is a special quota for poor people's children, so that they can apply for admission based on merit. Their fees is paid for.
5. Have set up three health camps to distribute wheelchairs, tricycles and other necessary goods for the handicapped and disabled, free of charge. Two centres have been set up for the disabled, where they can learn sewing and other vocational courses.
6. Have tied up with Lucknow University to provide young, disabled women with B.Ed courses. This way, they can study to become teachers, and be self-reliant, and independent.
7. In 1999, Pilibhit was on No. 61 for education. Today it is on Number 5.
8. Have arranged for the marriages of 1,680 girls in the last one year, without their families having to spend a single penny. They are provided with free utensils, saris, and other things that are needed. Even the pandits are made to come from Shantikunj in Haridwar, to Pilibhit free of charge, to perform the ceremonies.
9. Pilibhit has the biggest cow shelter in Western Uttar Pradesh. The cows and bulls that are abandoned by their owners, are taken care of here. At present, there are 2,200 cattle at the shelter. This makes sure that the abandoned cows are not taken to the cow slaughter. Also, land owners are welcome to take these cattle to work on their lands, instead of using a tractor. This works better for the farmers, because cattle irrigate land better than tractors do, and are hence better for the land.
10. Colleges in Pilibhit have now expanded the ambit of education by increasing BSc courses. Other courses that are now given importance are those related to ayurveda, physical education, and most importantly, vocational education.
11. Have made sure that solar light replaces other forms of light, that are bad for the environment.
12. To curb corruption and improve the quality of roads in Pilibhit, we have started a civil initiative, in which we have asked many young civil engineers (all are below 35 years of age) to inspect the roads. Earlier, we had observed, that the amount of tar in the CC roads was much less than the required amount (due to corruption). So every time it rained, the roads would become decrepit.
Now, every civil engineer that is part of this initiative, is handed 1 km of road that has been built. They then inspect them, and if the quality is not up to the mark, a complaint is lodged against the contractor and strict action is taken. The roads in Pilibhit are now of good quality, and corruption has lessened to a great extent.
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Varun Asks Partymen to Honour Aged Workers |
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The Pioneer
Lucknow, August 12
Bharatiya Janata Party National Secretary and MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi, has urged all party members to honour thr elderly workers who gave their best years to build the party in Uttar Pradesh, and to help them financially.
Varun visited the house of an ailing aged BJP worker, Ram Kumar Singh, in Bakshi-ka-Talab on Wednesday. Ram Kumar Singh had worked with former Prime Minister and former MP from Lucknow, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, right from the Jan Sangh days.
Later, talking to reporters, Varun said somr of the senior party workers in their last days really needed the party's help as they were poor and infirm.
"The party must find a way to help them financially, and they should be honoured for their contribution in making BJP such a big party in UP," Varun said.
While saying that too much focus on a few individuals was hampering the party organisation in UP, Varun Gandhi said the aged party workers may not have been very popular, or held high posts, or even contested elections, but their contribution in building Bharatiya Janata Party was in no way less to others, who were helm of the party.
Varun said the state unit of the party should chalk out a programme to help the elderly workers of the BJP family so that they did not feel neglected after doing so much to build the organisation and propagate its ideology.
The MP from Pilibhit also advised the party workers to win the faith of people, instead of focusing on their respective vote banks. "If you win the faith of the people, you will have to make no efforts to get the votes," he said.
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Varun Baffles Leaders, Stumps Detractors |
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The Asian Age
Lucknow, August 13
BJP MP and party secretary Varun Gandhi’s decision to reach out to the forgotten party workers has left the UP BJP leadership rather baffled and his detractors completely stumped.
With just one master stroke, Mr Gandhi has touched the chord in the hearts of party cadres and has also put the state leadership in the dock. “Our leaders have never bothered to even inquire about our welfare, leave alone visiting our homes in times of crisis. Varun Gandhi is the first such leader to do so and he has proved that he can emotionally connect with the party workers. Naturally, people are going to veer towards him,” said a party worker. The huge crowds that followed Mr Gandhi later, proved the point. Mr Gandhi, on Wednesday, visited ailing party worker Ram Kumar Singh Kaka and then called on another party worker Dharmendra Rai who is suffering from cancer. He promised medical assistance to both. Mr Gandhi later announced that he would henceforth meet forgotten party workers in every district that he visits.
Interestingly, Mr Gandhi, during his visit, did not respond to media questions, making sure that the purpose of his visit does not lose focus.
“We do not know who gave him this idea but he has surely overtaken us by leaps and bounds. We never realised that interacting with party cadres could create such a positive atmosphere in just one day. Everywhere party workers are singing the Varun tune and we must admit, we have been caught unaware by this,” said a senior UP BJP functionary.
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Reach out, care for party’s old loyalists, Varun tells workers |
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The Indian Express
Lucknow, August 12
As the state’s senior BJP leaders cry foul over the party’s new executive list, young parliamentarian and the party’s national secretary Varun Gandhi advised workers to spread the message that the party cares for all.
Gandhi, who was in the state capital on Wednesday, visited the ailing octogenarian worker a close aide of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Ram Kumar Singh, at Bakshi Ka Talaab. Inquiring about his health, Varun promised Singh’s relatives all help for his treatment. Later, meeting the workers at the party headquarters, he said, “We should not look at the BJP as just a political party but also a family.”
In a family, the members have their share of good and bad times, he said. “But we should always try to support our elderly members, specially those who have worked for strengthening the party in their heydays, and are facing bad times now.”
Asking party workers to actively seek out workers facing hard times, Varun said: “When I came here last, I had informally asked the people about workers who had dedicated their life to Jan Sangh and the BJP. In their youth, when they could have made money, they were busy strengthening the party and we are lucky that for 50 years, they worked hard to prepare the ground for youngsters like us.”
Today, some of them are sick, ailing and need support, care and even financial help, he said. “I would like the workers to reach out to such people in all districts. I have done that myself in places like Saharanpur, Sambhal and Jaunpur.”
Talking to the media, Varun said that he does not believe in politics of vote and would rather like to win the trust of the people. “I believe if you are able to win the trust of the people, the votes will follow.”
He later went to the house of party’s former president of the IT cell, Dharmendra Rai, who had been ailing from cancer for some time.
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Varun Reaches Out To Old BJP Workers |
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The Asian Age
Lucknow, August 12
He did what no one else in his party had done before. BJP MP Varun Gandhi, on Wednesday, reached out to old party workers, extended an helping hand to them, comforted them with words of assurance and gave them respect — respect that had eluded them ever since they turned old and inactive.
When he arrived in Lucknow on Wednesday, Varun Gandhi drove straight from the airport to Manpur village in Bakshi ka Talab on the outskirts of Lucknow to meet Ram Kumar Singh Kaka, an 85-year-old BJP worker who had worked with former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee when the latter contested his first election from Balrampur in 1957. The BJP MP met the veteran party worker, learnt about his prevailing condition and promised all help to him. “You are the pillars of the party and we need you guidance always,” he told the party worker whose emotions flowed with his tears. The old man was overwhelmed to find the young BJP MP at his doorstep.
Later , talking to reporters at the party headquarters, Mr Gandhi said that in the journey of Jan Sangh and BJP, spanning five decades, innumerable party workers had sacrificed their lives to build up the party.
“There are thousands who have given a lifetime and have got nothing in return. Many of them are financially weak and ailing. I have decided that I will meet such old party workers in every district where I go. It is time for the youth to acknowledge the contribution of the elders and give them some care,” he said. Mr Gandhi said that a party was not designed to capture power. “It is an extended family and we may fight in good times but a family should stick together in adverse conditions. We should win confidence of people, the votes will follow,” he said.
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Click here to read questions raised by Varun Gandhi in Parliament