Rs 10 lakh from Pune Municipal Corporation to Niramay, a VHP NGO for polio drive

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Whiff of VHP aid in polio drive, parties raise storm

Ajay Khape
Posted: Dec 18, 2008 at 0348 hrs IST


Pune Cong shows no confidence in Niramay, says will oppose move at civic general body meet

Even as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is gearing up for a vaccination drive to be carried out on National Immunisation Day on December 21, it has managed to stir up a storm of sorts among Congress workers. The PMC has allotted Rs 10 lakh to Niramay — a charitable trust promoted by the city unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) — for its initiative on health awareness in the city’s slums. The Congress is all set to raise the issue in the civic body.

The proposal to sanction Rs 10 lakh to Niramay was passed by the civic standing committee recently. The amount is meant for the joint initiative of carrying out vaccination of children up to the age of six years residing in slums.

“The standing committee might have given a go-ahead to the proposal of allotting Rs 10 lakh to Niramay which is affiliated to VHP, but we will oppose it in the general body meeting,” city Congress chief Abhay Chhajed said.

In its proposal, the civic administration said there are many private organisations working in the medical field, and going by the rules the initiative of vaccination through private organisation has to be undertaken through advertisements so that interested organisations can apply for the same.

However, the civic body has already approved Rs 10 lakh to Niramay in the annual budget of 2008-09, the proposal said.

Congress leader in the PMC and member of standing committee Ulhas Bagul said he was unaware of the association of Niramay with VHP. “The standing committee had approved the civic administration proposal for a social cause and expects that the organisation sticks to it.”

The civic administration said it recognised Niramay as a public trust while sponsoring its initiative without mention of trust being promoted by VHP. “Niramay is a charitable trust conceptualised and promoted by the city unit of VHP for creating health awareness in the slums and has joined hands with the PMC for immunisation of children,” city VHP chief Ranjeet Natu said.

Though the initiative of immunisation of the slum children was launched last year by Niramay, he said they sought financial assistance from PMC for the first time.

BJP leader in PMC Vikas Mathkari said the Congress is unnecessarily trying to make an issue as the money to be sanctioned to Niramay is in public interest. “Niramay might be associated to VHP, but it is working for a good cause and no one should take objections,” he said, adding, if those opposing the civic administration decision do so only because the organisation is associated with VHP, then all the organisations that are being funded by the PMC should face the same action.

PMC, being the co-sponsor to the initiative, will make available Rs 10 lakh to Niramay of which 50 per cent would be given after the MoU is signed between them, while the remaining amount would be allotted only after favourable report, to be obtained from Karve Institute of Social Science, on the effective use of the first installment.

The civic administration has also set conditions: PMC immunisation officers will keep track on daily operations of the initiative by Niramay. The NO has to submit a monthly report to the PMC.

If there are any violations of conditions of the contract to be signed by two, then the power to cancel the contract will be with the municipal commissioner, it said.