Charity creates Ahimsa Gram New Delhi, December 26 Set up with a modest budget of Rs 1.25 crore by Chetainya Kashyap Foundation, the owner of Ratlams sodium silicon plant that meets 60 per cent demand of sorbitol, a sweetener product used in cough syrups and toothpaste, 100 families of poorest section have been provided two-room houses with all modern facilities and open space in the Ahimsa Gram, an outskirts of Ratlam. But the free-of-cost houses to the poor have come with a rider that the couple applying for it should be of 35-40 years of age, adhere to family planning norms, have discarded habits of smoking and drinking and any other form of drug abuse and follow vegetarian habits strictly. But in the process of selecting eligible couple for allotment in the colony, the foundation had taken care of giving the houses almost in equal proportion to all sections of societyHindus, Muslims, Christians. Among Hindus care has even been taken that allotments are made to people from all castes, foundations chairman Chetainya Kumar Kashyap, told The Tribune during a recent visit to the Capital. The purpose behind it is to promote secularism and casteless society. The idea of the project hit the Foundation in 2004 when it found that the 10 per cent students from poor sections given free admission by it in its school, were lagging behind in studies due to lack of basic living environment in the slum clusters. Besides, there was a high dropout rate. Unless a healthy environment is proved to a child at home, all talks of his or her development will be futile. This was the basic reason for the foundation deciding to set up a colony for poor couple who really want their children to grow in a healthy environment. Under the scheme, houses will be provided for them without cost, initially for 10 years lease. Women will be provided vocational training facilities to supplement the income of their husbands and become financially independent. The 10 years lease is not a strict condition as the foundation will assess their economic development on eighth year or on completion of deadline and if they require some more time, it will be given, but only to those who have made sincere efforts to be financially self-sufficient. But I am sure that none will lag behind. After their settlement in the village, protected by a boundary wall to save its children from outside pollution. Every women today is earning between Rs 1,000 and 1,500 per month on selling household products like papad, aachar, garments, embroider and tailoring works, he said. The foundations concept of empowerment of the poor has been widely appreciated and several NGOs and industrial houses now want to adopt it. Kashyap said BJP MP Satya Narain Jaitya and Modern Woolens of Rajasthan are already implementing such projects in their areas while several others are studying its success to follow suit. If any other industrial house or organisation comes forward to follow our model of empowerment, we will provide them a financial support of Rs 10 lakh so that it can be developed into a big chain. Asked how he could raise a colony of 100 houses with a modest budget of Rs 1.25 crore as similar projects in government sector would have cost much more, Kashyap said, Every body is aware of pilferage of government funds. If you maintain a strict financial discipline, better results can be achieved. Our quality of work is far superior than any government project. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071227/delhi.htm#15 Ravi
Free-of-cost houses to the poor have come with a rider that the
S. S. Negi
Tribune News Service
Charity by industrial houses is not a new concept but how better it can be used for overall development and empowerment of the most underprivileged sections is exemplified with the setting up of Ahimsa Gram at Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh with all basic facilities.
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