Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Nov 5: Minister for Kannada, culture and tourism and national general secretary of the BJP, C T Ravi, hailed local MLA Harish Poonja for taking up the task of helping the flood affected people with the support of donors.
He was speaking after handing over cheques relating to Rs 2.74 crore collected by Beltangady Kalaji Flood Relief Fund for helping the flood-affected people on Wednesday November 4.The programme was held at Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Kalabhavana.
He said that Beltangady constituency has the blessings of Dr D Veerendra Heggade Dharmasthala and Lord Manjunatheshwara. He said that the MLA deserves credit for bringing all sections of the society together and helping them.
MLC Pratap Simha Nayak, thanked Poonja for coming to the rescue of the people who suffered because of recent floods. He called upon the people to join hands with the MLA apolitically instead of criticising him and indulging in character assassination.
MLA Harish Poonja, in his introductory address, said that the taluk was in the grip of unprecedented floods this time, and as the MLA of the area, he had met each and every distressed family. He said he thought of setting up a fund to help these people and he got support of entrepreneur Shashidhar Shetty, Dr Heggade, Dr Mohan Alva, entrepreneur, Banjara Prakash Shetty, several other donors, organisations and institutions. He said that Kalaji Relief Fund was instituted with the specific purpose of handing over assistance honestly to eligible people.
He declared that he will retire from politics if his critics who have been saying that he has amassed money in the name of Kalaji Relief Fund prove their allegations. He called upon the people who have made the allegations to provide the accounts of help they have rendered to the affected people.
On behalf of the affected people, Kolambe Yashoda shared her feelings. Poonja was felicitated on behalf of the beneficiaries.
Ujire Janardhana Swamy temple's Sharat Krishna Padvetnaya, Kalaji Relief Fund members, Dr Gopalakrishna, Mohan Kumar, Rajesh Pai, Lancy Pinto, Dr M M Dayakar, Praveen, Jagadish, Abubakker, Ganesh Gowda and treasurer Nandakumar, were present.
Kalaji Fund general secretary, Dhananjaya Rao presented the programme, and project officer of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, Jayakar Shetty rendered the vote of thanks.