As India finds itself gripped by the Coronavirus pandemic, many industrialists and celebrities have stepped up to do their part in supporting the Government in its efforts to prepare itself for a potential outbreak.
The latest announcement comes from Radhakishan Damani, promoter of Avenue Supermarts, parent entity of D-Mart.
India’s second richest man, Radhakishan Damani, has pledged Rs. 100 crore to the PM Cares Fund through his group company Bright Star Investments.
Further, he donated Rs. 55 crore to various state relief funds to help them in their endeavour to fight COVID-19.
A statement released by Avenue Supermarts, said “We are fully supportive of the swift action taken by the Central, State and Local Government Bodies of India to protect the general public. Each of us also needs to do our best to protect our communities and fellow countrymen.”
Of the Rs. 55 crore, the statement mentions the breakup of funds that the various states have received. The largest share went to Maharashtra and Gujarat with Rs. 10 crore, Rs. 5 crore each to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Punjab, while Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Tamil Nadu were given a donation of Rs. 2.5 crore each, making the total number of states to receive funding, 11.
The total tally of cases in India has crossed 4,000 with more cases expected to emerge in the coming days. As the country plans to exit the unprecedented 3-week lockdown, PM Modi has asked Chief Ministers of states to formulate a staggered plan.
Others who have contributed to the PM Cares Fund are Reliance: Rs. 500 crore, ONGC and IOC: Rs. 1,000+ crore and Ratan Tata: Rs. 500 crore among others.
