the goan I network
VASCO
The Yuva Morchacho Ekvott (YME) under the leadership of Vasco Councillor and former MPDA Chairman Krishna (Daji) Salkar on Friday morning handed over a truckload of relief material to the flood-affected people in Kerala.
The relief material was handed over to T Ravishankar, president of Ayappa Seva Samiti by Salkar in the presence of Surjeet Singh Khalsa (president of Veteran Soldiers Association), ex-serviceman R K Sharma, P C Prasad, Vasco Councillor Rochana Borkar and Amarnath Nair Mohandas from the Kerala Samaj.
The relief material included around 725 kgs of rice, over 6,000 packets of biscuits, 20 kgs of milk powder, milk tetrapaks, 500 notebooks, stationery, towels, soaps, sarees, lungis, diapers and sanitary napkins, clothes, drinking water, medicines, ORS packets, 400 packs of Maggi noodles, blankets and bedsheets.
A three-day collection drive was conducted at Salkar’s office in Vasco, where people from all walks of life contributed generously to the cause. The supplies were then packed, labelled and loaded to be sent to the Coastguard Goa warehouse, from where it will be shipped to Kerala.
Speaking on the occasion, Salkar said the YME felt it was their duty to be of some help to the neighbouring state which faced nature’s fury in terms of floods and hence members of YME decided to organise the collection drive.
“I am truly grateful to all the support extended by our people here in Vasco. We have received a great response,” said Salkar.
Margao citizens contribute
towards Kerala relief aid
MARGAO: Around 20 tons of relief material collected by various group, including the Carmelite monastery, besides the Kerala Associations and Goan individuals, will leave for flood-hit Kerala by train in the early hours of Saturday from the Margao railway station.
Co-ordinator Carlton Gomez told The Goan that while the Carmelite monastery has contributed around 7-8 tons of relief material, the balance material has been chipped in by the Federation of All Goa Malayalee Associations and local good samaritans. The relief material was supposed to be dispatched to Kerala by the Delhi-Ernakulam train, but the delay in the arrival of the train as well as the fact that the train was carrying consignment of relief material from other parts of the country forced the organisers to dispatch the consignment by another train heading to Kerala in the wee hours of Saturday.
Carlton told The Goan that the relief material consists of food items, including 700 crates of mineral water, blankets and linen and items needed to clear up the devastated homes. “I am accompanying the consignment to Ernakulam. When the train chugs at the Ernakulam railway station, the consignment from Goa will be handed over to the district Collector for distribution to the affected people,” Carlton said.
