Divyangas should be given a chance, not charity: Dr. Prakash Amte

Kalyan - Quoting his legendary father Baba Amte, Magsaysay Award winning social activist Dr. Prakash Amte said that differently abled persons (Divyangas) should be given a chance and not charity. Dr. Amte and his equally renowned wife, Dr. Mandakini Amte, were present here at a programme organised to distribute aid material to the ‘Divyangas’ on Sunday.

Popular MP of Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, Dr. Shrikant Shinde, and the Divyang section of the Central Social Justice Ministry had jointly organised this programme at Jarimari Tisai Mandir Ground in Kalyan East. More than a thousand divyangas took benefit of this programme.

At the start of the programme, students of the Pragati Andh Vidyalaya (Badlapur) presented welcome song and enthralled the audience with the superb dancing steps.

In his opening speech, MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde said that this programme was the result of his two years’ efforts in getting the fruits of Central Government scheme to the needy divyangas. Dr. Shinde reiterated his desire to implement good schemes in his constituency so that the last person in the society gets benefited in a true sense. He also informed such a programme was recently organised in Ambarnath. The MP also vowed to work for the financial welfare of Divyangas.

Vinod Rawat, an amputee who tried to place his foot on the Mt. Everest, motivated people like him. Rawat stated that divyangas should set an example for the world. He narrated his hardships after losing a leg in an accident and then went on describe his achievements till date.

District Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde, father of MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, showered blessing on the MP’s efforts in empowering the divyangas. He also informed the people that the Shiv Sena Medical Help Desk in Thane is also doing such a blessed social work and a team of doctors supporting Shiv Sena and his party MPs and MLAs extended help in the Kerala floods recently. The minister also expressed gratitude towards Amte couple for blessing this programme.

A long list of dignitaries including MLAs Dr. Balaji Kinikar and Subhash Bhoir, KDMC mayor Vinita Rane, Thane mayor Minakshi Shinde, District Collector Rajesh Narvekar, ZP CEO Vivek Dhimanwar were present on this occasion.

At the end of the programme, dignitaries distributed helping aid to the divyangas. The material distributed to the differently abled people included wheelchairs, tricycles, artificial limbs, hearing aid, calipers, Braille kit, smartphone, etc. Large number of Shiv Sena office-bearers, party activists, residents of Tisgaon also attended the programme.

When talked to a group of divyangas including Shahid Ansari (Mumbra) Anwar and Ful Shaikh, they expressed their happiness by flashing a victory sign and blessed MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde.

No funds to MMRDA for development of “27 villages”

Kalyan - The State Government has not provided funds to the MMRDA for the development of Kalyan-Dombivli and 27 villages. This has come to fore through a RTI query posed by MNS activist Shalendra Sajje. 

According to information, Sajje had filed an RTI application with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) asking the authorities whether it has received any funds for Kalyan-Dombivli and other 27 villages from the State Government during June 1, 2015 to July 30, 2018. 

Pollution Affects Lord Ganesha Idol

Dombivli - A deteriorating condition of the environment has now taken a toll on even Lord Ganesha as air pollution from local chemical factories has allegedly blackened an idol of Lord Ganesha in Dawdi locality here.

According to information, Om Sai Mitra Mandal has been celebrating Ganeshotsav from last 11 years at Tukaram Square in Dawdi locality. The office-bearers of this Mandal has brought Ganesh idols on September 10. The plastic wrapped on the idol was not even removed due to decoration in the pandal. On the day of Ganesh Chaturthi (September 13), the idol was installed and worshipped with full zeal.

The Mandal office-bearers observed that the idol was getting blackened with every passing day. They immediately summoned the artist who painted the idol again. But within 24 hours, the idol got blacken again. The artist has claimed that he sold seven idols in the area and no other idol got blackened except the one at Dawdi’s Om Sai Mitra Mandal. He expressed the possibility of pollution being responsible for this incident.

The local people who have been suffering from air and water pollution due to local chemical industries have alleged that the State government’s inefficient machinery is responsible for pollution-related problems in Dombivli.