Fwd: Mahakaleshwar temple donations to be used for medical aid to needy

Mahakaleshwar temple donations to be used for medical aid to needy

Sandeep Vatsa, TNN Oct 3, 2013, 12.56PM IST

UJJAIN: A major portion of donations made at Mahakaleshwar temple here will from now on be used by temple management to extend financial assistance to people suffering from severe ailments.

One among the 12 jyotirlingas, the temple attracts lakhs of pilgrims every year from all over the country.

Over Rs five crore are received annually in the form of donations besides other articles made of gold and silver.

Till now, the management was spending a sizable amount on developing facilities for pilgrims and put the remaining amount as fixed deposits in banks. But now it is mulling a scheme that will help people who cannot afford expensive treatment and surgeries for serious ailments.

Collector B M Sharma, who is also the president of temple management committee said BPL card holders get financial help under the various government schemes, but there are others who do not fall in this category but need financial assistance to pay huge bills at hospitals.

Temple administrator Jayant Joshi told TOI that the beneficiaries must not be income tax payers and all applications after due verification from civil surgeon and other authorities could be granted help in listed hospitals.

We have yet to decide how much portion or budget would be spent on the scheme but a corpus fund from temple coffers would be earmarked to begin with.

Donations from devotees specifically for the scheme would be sought to help maximum number of needy patients.

The temple committee is already running a mobile health clinic which moves in poor localities on scheduled days.

One doctor and two nurses are deployed with medicines for free distribution, Joshi said and added that the temple committee wishes to actively serve mankind and work for social cause.