Taking personal interest and initiative to provide better facilities to the government-run Bal Mandirs meant for underprivileged and deprived children, Deputy Commissioner Y. S. Patil has decided to seek public aid.
Inviting entrepreneurs and businessmen of the city to explain his idea, Mr. Patil said that while the government has its responsibility to provide facilities to deprived children, it is also the job of the society to take care of them by ensuring minimum basic facilities for them to live with dignity.
“We have been seeking funds from the government, but it has its own procedures. Sometimes, we may not get the required funds at the right time. Therefore, I thought of involving affluent people of the city who could donate to these Bal Mandirs. It is our obligation towards these children to bring them to the mainstream,” he said during a meeting on Thursday, which was attended by about a dozen businessmen.
Making it clear that he does not seek aid in the form of cash, Mr. Patil wanted them to donate materials needed by the Bal Mandirs, which include vessels, cupboards, water purifiers, and so on. “You can also donate books or adopt any child and take care of their education,” he said.
Mr. Patil said many philanthropists are ready to donate, but are not coming forward as they do not get assurance of their donation going into the right hands.
Sharing his views, D.S. Guddodgi, one of the businessmen of the district, said a delegation of about 10 members would soon visit the Bhavans to check the requirement.
“Based on that, we will decide what materials we could offer. We want to make sure that we provide materials that last for years,” he said.
