Star power that helped Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee either win Lok Sabha and Assembly seats or project the state’s image has now come to her aid in the fight against Covid-19 days after her government announced austerity measures amid soaring expenditure.
Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, who is also Bengal’s brand ambassador and owner of the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), made a generous donation to the chief minister’s emergency relief fund on Thursday. He also announced that KKR and his NGO, Meer Foundation, will give 50,000 personal protection kits for health workers to Bengal and Maharashtra.
Using Bengali script Khan, on Friday, tweeted, “Didi I want to extend my arm to help you in your selfless and humanitarian work” and quoted a line from a poem by Rabindranath Tagore.
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On Saturday, Banerjee thanked Khan in a tweet for the undisclosed amount the star contributed. “Thank you @iamsrk, your contribution will help assist a lot of distressed people during these challenging times. Such humane benefaction will keep inspiring millions in this country who look up to you as their role model with respect and reverence,” she wrote.
Three people have so far died of coronavirus in Bengal. Four others who had tested positive also lost their lives but the government says they might have died of co-morbidity. The seven dead were among a total of 68 people infected by the virus.
{{/usCountry}}Three people have so far died of coronavirus in Bengal. Four others who had tested positive also lost their lives but the government says they might have died of co-morbidity. The seven dead were among a total of 68 people infected by the virus.
{{/usCountry}}In Kolkata’s film industry, commonly referred to as Tollywood since most of the old studios are located at Tollygunje in south Kolkata, people aware of the developments said contributions have also been made by popular actress Rituparna Sengupta and her husband, a businessman, and actors Rudranil Ghosh and Sohini Sarkar.
Bengal’s superstar Prasenjit Chatterjee, director Arindam Sil and music director Jit Ganguly have also contributed to a fund for film technicians since all studios are closed due to the lockdown.
Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar whose acrimonious relation with the state government has been in news for months, contributed ₹10 lakh to the chief minister’s emergency relief fund and ₹5 lakh to the Prime Minister’s relief fund.
Faced with huge unexpected expenditure, the Bengal government had announced austerity measures on Thursday under which no new scheme will to be taken up and all constructions will stop except urgent repairs and maintenance for which approval has to be taken from the finance department.
The government will not allow purchase of new cars, computers, IT related accessories, televisions, air-conditioners, water coolers, officer equipment, furnishings and renovation of chambers of public officials.
Unless approved by the government, there will be no recruitment and engagement of manpower and no hiring of vehicles. The government will also not allow air travel in executive and business class.
Last month, Banerjee had publicly appealed to people and the corporate world to help with money or materials.
Four days ago she contributed ₹5 lakh each to state fund and the Prime Minister’s fund. “I do not take any salary as MLA or chief minister and I have also forgone my MP pension despite being a seven-time member of the Parliament. I come from limited means. My primary source of income is from my creative pursuits, the royalty I generate from my music and books,” she tweeted.