The Hindu : National : B.K. Birla visits Burrabazar fire site

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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B.K. Birla visits Burrabazar fire site

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Basant Kumar Birla, one of the three seniors of the Birla clan, has begun contacting various city industrialists for rebuilding the lives of the traders who lost everything in the fire that razed thousands of shops over four days in Burrabazar, the city’s wholesale business area.

Talking to The Hindu, the 87-year-old Mr. Birla said he was moved to tears after visiting the site on Tuesday with his 83-year-old wife Sarala, who was slightly hurt in the melee that took place there.

He said that while he earlier planned to donate Rs. 1 crore, after seeing the plight of the 800-odd traders, many of whom would now have difficulty feeding their families, he raised it to Rs. 2 crore.

“From TV reports and our own information we knew it was a bad situation, but we had not imagined it was this bad till we made that visit against the wish of our executives and friends,” a moved Mr. Birla said adding that the site was only two furlongs away from the Birla Buildings — the corporate headquarters of the family — and he felt restless without extending a helping hand. “The fire has been put out, but the traders have neither stocks, nor any cash — how will they live?” an anguished Mr. Birla wondered.

He said he would ideally like to raise about Rs. 4 crore and he had already spoken to fellow city-based industrialists like R.P. Goenka, B.M. Khaitan, Jit Pal, C.K. Somani, R.S. Agarwal and H.M. Bangur. “All of them are keen on contributing,” he said adding that he proposed to call at least 30 more people. “We have consulted our lawyers and decided that a separate account would be opened for this.” Company officials said a steering committee of six people, including a director of a group company and some social workers, was being set up. It would also have two representatives from the textile industry from the area which has suffered the greatest loss.

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