Sourav Ganguly had earlier donated 20,000 kilograms rice at the Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission. (Photo Credit: Twitter)
New Delhi:
Sourav Ganguly has been on a philanthropic spree ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in India. On Saturday, Sourav Ganguly extended a helping hand to ISKCON's Kolkata centre, enabling them to feed 20,000 people, affected by the coronavirus pandemic everyday. The Kolkata ISKCON was feeding 10,000 people daily before. Wearing all protective gears such as mask and gloves, Sourav Ganguly visited the ISKCON city centre and promised support.
"From ISKCON Kolkata, we were cooking food for 10,000 people daily. Our dear Sourav Da has come forward and extended all his support and has donated, which enables us to double our capacity to 20,000 people every day. As we all know that the corona-crisis has created an unprecedented challenges before humanity. One of the very important battles in this hour of crisis is being fought by those who have lost their daily earnings. Under his captaincy, the monks of ISKCON Kolkata are enthused to play this long Test match and fight together the battle against hunger for many families here in Kolkata. I am a great fan of Sourav Ganguly and have watched many of his innings on the cricket ground. But his innings of feeding 10,000 people everyday is the best one. ISKCON expresses its immense gratitude to Sourav Ganguly," Radharaman Das spokesperson and vice-president of ISKCON, Kolkata centre said.
A big thank you to Shri #SouravGanguly ji for donating to support food for 10,000 people daily here in Kolkata. Under his captaincy, the monks of ISKCON are confident to fight the battle of hunger for many families. This is the best innings played by Dada.Thank you pic.twitter.com/7k5AE3vKKF
— Radharamn Das (@RadharamnDas) April 4, 2020
Ganguly had earlier donated 20,000 kilograms rice at the Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramkrishna Mission. ISKCON is distributing food to four lakh people daily across the country. Ganguly is going all the way to ensure India and West Bengal fight the coronavirus pandemic that has decimated sporting events and has led to the death of close to 22,000 people in the world. After offering the Eden Gardens as a temporary quarantine facility to the Mamata Banerjee government, Ganguly has now gone one step ahead and pledged to donate Rs 50 lakh of rice to the needy people in order to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Sourav Ganguly has been in philanthropy ever since the coronavirus pandemic. (Image credit: Twitter)
In a statement released by Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), it said, "#Sourav to provide Free Rice to the Needy. Ganguly, along with Lal Baba Rice has come forward to provide free rice worth Rs 50 lacs to the needy people who have been put in government schools for safety and security. Hope this initiative of Sourav Ganguly would encourage other citizens of the state to take up similar initiatives to serve the people of our state." Cricket Association of Bengal President Avishek Dalmiya has also lent support to the needy people as he donated Rs 5 lakh to the Government's Emergency Relief Fund.
Speaking to PTI, Ganguly said the BCCI was ready to help both the state and central governments in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic as they offered the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal to set up temporary quarantine facilities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. "If government asks us, we will certainly hand over the facility. Anything that is need of the hour, we will do it. There is absolutely no problem. I think this is the best option at the current moment. Certain things are beyond anybody’s control. Whatever directives that the government and ministry of health gives us, we have to follow. That’s the case all over the world," Ganguly said.
Also Read | Sourav Ganguly Offers Eden Gardens To West Bengal Govt For Temporary Coronavirus Quarantine Facilities
The West Bengal government announced that Kolkata and all other municipal and district towns under a complete lockdown from 5 PM on Monday till midnight of March 31 and it was given under the West Bengal Epidemic Disease COVID-19 regulations, 2020, framed according to relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. However, the lockdown of India has been extended to April 14.
