APPEAL FOR FLOOD RELIEF WORKDear Sir/Madam,The inordinately excessive rainfall in Maharashtra this year has caused heavy damage in the state. Starting from 20 July 2005 the incessant rains have caused severe floods. Hundreds of villages were inundated with flood waters. The extent of damage and the pathetic conditions of our villagers were effectively highlighted by the media. To counter-act the calamity the people of Maharashtra have boldly and quickly come forward with their helping hand. The help was mobilized through the Government agencies and many NGOs.
Ramakrishna Math, Pune had also taken quick steps to provide immediate relief.
Rainfall in the affected areas has considerably receded. Ramakrishna Math Pune, in association with our H.Q. Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, West Bengal has chalked out an elaborate programme of providing relief to the affected people in the second phase of its relief work. The volunteers of Ramakrishna Math, Pune paid a visit to the following villages of the districts of Raigad, Kolhapur, Sangli etc. to assess the extent of relief need to be provided.
A) Sangli District – Junekhed, Valva, Shirgaon, Nagthane, Punadi, Ghogaon, Dhangaon, Amanapur, Burli, Nagrale, Tupari, Dudhondi etc.
B) Kolhapur District – Ambewadi, Kamanmal, Prayag Chikhali, Padali (Budr.) etc.
C) Raigad District – Taluka Pen, Kane and Durshet.
Along with the above, we also propose to provide help to some schools in Chiplun in the form of text-books, note-books and some minor repair work to the school buildings.
The survey of the above mentioned areas starkly highlighted the wreckage of washed away houses, huts and displaced families. The stupefied faces of the helpless people made us painfully aware of the need to console them in their time of calamity and help them as far as possible to normalize their lives. The non-discriminating Nature has wiped away the standing crops of one and all, regardless of their socio-economic status and made a gaping hole in their pockets. The worst affected are the daily laborers, who have not only lost their homes but also the only means of source of income for the next month or so. The attached pictures will give you some idea of the damage done.
Proposed Help:We propose to provide the following help to the severely affected each family.
Items Quantity
Wheat 10 Kgs
Rice 10 Kgs
Blanket 1 piece
Bed-sheet Solapuri 2 pieces
Sari 1 piece
Earnest Appeal:The cost of above mentioned five (5) items per family will come to be approximately Rs. 1,000/-. As we intend to help around 5000 families, the total cost will come to Rs. 50 Lakhs. We earnestly appeal to the generous people of Pune to extend their helping hand and send their monetary donation to us. The people have kindly patronized all our activities in the past and we sincerely hope that this time also they will respond enthusiastically. Your donation of Rs. 1,000/- will definitely assuage the pain of at least one family.
Donations in cash, cheques, money-orders and drafts to Ramakrishna Math are exempt u/s 80 G of the Income Tax Act. Cheques and drafts should be drawn in favor of “Ramakrishna Math, Pune” and crossed a/c payee.We earnestly appeal to all devotees, donors, financial institutions, trusts etc. to donate generously for this noble activity.
Thanking you,
Yours in the Service of the Lord,
Swami Bhaumananda
President
