Difficulties in school days spurred me to build girls’ school: Philanthropist
Hari Prasad Budhia (78), a leading manufacturer and exporter based in Kolkata, was one of the 109 philanthropists felicitated at the 23rd state-level Bhamashah Samman Samaroh on Wednesday
Hari Prasad Budhia (78), a leading manufacturer and exporter based in Kolkata, was one of the 109 philanthropists felicitated at the 23rd state-level Bhamashah Samman Samaroh on Wednesday.
A native of Ratannagar in Churu, Budhia had visited his village after decades in 2002. “I saw that the girls were facing difficulty in going to school. I was reminded of my own school days in 1950s when I used to travel some 50 kms from my village to Fatehpur for writing the exams,” said Budhia.
Spurred by memories of the difficulties he had faced, Budhia built a girls’ school in Ratannagar. Recently he developed a school at Hirapura in Jaipur at a cost of ₹5.29 crore. Budhia, along with the CSR wings of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and Havells India Limited, were among the prominent contributors to the education sector in the state.
Philanthropists who had donated above ₹10 lakh were felicitated at the programme organised at Birla Auditorium by the state’s education department.
The 109 top philanthropists had contributed over ₹62 crore in the past one year. Last year, 62 philanthropists who had donated over ₹27 crore were felicitated.
The Bhamashah Samman Samaroh is being celebrated in the state since 1995 to commemorate the birthday of Bhamashah, who had given his wealth to Maharana Pratap when he was short of funds during a war for Mewar’s independence.
Another philanthropist felicitated on the occasion was Bhavna Kumari, who along with her husband runs the Shri Jashwant Charitable Trust that has developed a girls’ school at Devgarh in Rajsamand at a cost of ₹1.27 crore. The couple, who own a hotel at Devgarh, motivate foreign tourists to donate money and teach them how to cook Indian dishes at a cost, the proceeds of which goes to the trust.
From Jaipur, Kailash Chand and his family donated land worth ₹1 crore to a government school for girls in Nangal Purohitan, Amer. The businessman, who deals in finance and property, said the problems of school children and the request by the school headmistress prompted his brothers and uncles to donate the land to the school.
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje, the chief guest on the occasion, said the government is indebted to the philanthropists as their efforts have benefitted and motivated thousands of students. Raje said the education department’s initiatives -- merging of schools, introducing staffing pattern, parent-teacher meetings, among others -- have led to Rajasthan becoming a leading state in education.
School education minister Vasudev Devnani, higher education minister Kiran Maheshwari, and school education secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar were present on the occasion.