Red Cross ‘handicapped’ due to stalled income

Amritsar, May 28

Even as the Red Cross is doing yeoman service by running various schemes for destitute and underprivileged, yet the government has failed to provide it a regular income. As a result, many of its schemes are facing financial crunch. Rising cost of various social welfare works being undertaken by the organisation and dwindling income also figured in its meeting held here recently.

The district unit of the Red Cross lost over Rs 40 lakh annual income by auctioning a parking lot at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. The government had earmarked the lot at the hospital to the Red Cross to generate income to fund its schemes. It had earned Rs 42 lakh during 2018-19 from parking.

Similarly, the ITI on its land in the Ramtirath area has not been giving monthly rent of Rs 50,000 since October 2020, said TS Raja, Red Cross secretary.

These funds are extremely useful in funding various items to downtrodden and needy persons. Every year, the Red Cross distributes medical aid to poor, handicapped, hearing aids, tri-cycles, sewing machines, blankets, besides operating an inn at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital for attendants of cancer patients. Apart from these, the Red Cross is operating sewing and stitching centres at Tehsilpura and Sohian Kalan. Taking care of new born babies abandoned at Bhangura, offering lodging and boarding for repatriated Indian prisoners, holding blood donation camps, marriages of destitute women staying at the Nari Niketan, besides amicably resolving family disputes.

Release of stalled funds is also necessary to revive the Jan Aushadhi store scheme under which generic medicines are sold without loss and profit at civil hospitals. It has been lying closed since July last year for want of funds.

District Hospital Welfare Section chairperson and Red Cross president Gurpreet Kaur said she would speak to officials of the district administration to revive the stalled income of the Red Cross. She said efforts would be aimed at turning all projects of the organisation to be self-reliant and generate funds for their maintenance. — TNS

Lost source of Rs 40 lakh annual income

The district unit of the Red Cross lost over Rs 40 lakh annual income by auctioning a parking lot at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. The government had earmarked the lot at the hospital to the Red Cross to generate income to fund its schemes. It had earned Rs 42 lakh during 2018-19 from parking.