Mamata donates Rs 10 lakhs for fight against COVID-19

Kolkata,01 April(HS): In order to help strengthen the hands of the union and the state governments in their all-out fight against COVID-19 with generous contributions, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here today donated Rs 5 lakhs each (totalling Rs 10 lakhs) from her own ‘limited resources’ to the Prime minister’s National Relief Fund and to West Bengal state Emergency Relief Fund setting examples for many others.

Releasing the total amount from her own personal account the Chief minister in two separate messages through her twitter handle here today said ‘Out of my limited resources, I am contributing Rs. 5 lakhs to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and another Rs. 5 lakhs to the West Bengal State Emergency Relief Fund in an attempt to support our country’s efforts in fighting the COVID-19 ‘.

Soon afterwards in another message, she wrote “I do not take any salary as an MLA or a Chief Minister and I have also foregone my MP Pension despite being a 7-time Member of Parliament. I come from limited means. My primary source of income is from my creative pursuits, the royalties I generate from my music and books’ informing the general public about her source of income’.

I hope such little contribution would encourage others to come up and make similar or more contribution in accordance with their capacity to encourage and help the governments in their fight against the deadly disease which has already claimed 6 lives in West Bengal and over 35 in rest of the country, she said later.

Meanwhile encouraged by the gesture of the Chief Minister and the path shown by her, the President and Secretary of Press Club Kolkata have urged every member of the Club to come with generous contributions to take part in the fight against COVID-19.

In an appeal to the members of the Club, Kolkata Press Club President Snehashis Sur and its General Secretary Kingshuk Pramanik have requested all to donate in a Special fund set up by the Club. The amount collected in the Fund through various means would be handed over to the West Bengal State Emergency Relief Fund after 7 April, they informed.