The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Charitable institutions find the going tough

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 03, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Charitable institutions find the going tough

— Photo: R. Ashok

Shaky prospects: Inmates of the orphanage at Annai Ashram in Tiruchi during their reading session.

If not for the easy and adequate availability of ration rice at Rs.2 a kilogram, most of the orphanages and old age homes would have faced closure by now.

Nevertheless, the ordeal is far from over for the philanthropic institutions running such homes. With the prices of every commodity right from matchbox, LPG cylinder to vegetables hitting the roof over the past few months, these homes are struggling t o withstand the inflation.

With no corresponding increase in the grants given by the Central and State governments, the homes have become heavily dependent on donors and philanthropists.

There are also homes that function with regular contributions of certain numbers of donors. The homes are also pleading with donors to scale up their contributions. It is not an easy task, according to a manager of one such home. Fortunately for them, some donors, realising the current situation, have risen up to the occasion on their own volition.

The Annai Ashram affiliated to Tamil Nadu Pengal Nala Sangam near Tiruchi airport runs an orphanage with total inmates of 150. “We need at least 20 kg of vegetables every day. With the prices skyrocketing, we find it difficult to foot expenses on a daily basis.

Vegetables that used to sell at Rs.2 to 5 a few months ago have risen to Rs.13-15. Even the commonly available brinjal and ladies finger have become very costly and we have almost forgotten the English vegetables,” says M. Kamakshi, co-founder and general secretary of the Sangam.

“It is the Rs.2 kg rice provided in adequate quantity and quality by the government that has come to our rescue and lessens our burden. With the prices of rice too registering a steep increase day by day, expenditure on its purchase would have eaten seriously into our budget. We also use wheat, maize, cumbu, ragi food. The prices of these commodities have increased abnormally.

Even the price of ‘kollu’ which stood at Rs.2 per kg now has gone up to Rs.12. Look at the price of firewood and LPG cylinder. The cost of fire wood per tonne has increased from Rs.1,100 to Rs.2,500,” she laments.

The Ashram does not prefer any austerity measure, lest it should result in inadequate nutrition for the young boys and girls.

“The vice-president of the Sangam, Dr. Kalyani, had donated a sum of Rs.5 lakh for the construction of a new crèche building. The construction work could not be taken up as the price of steel and cement too has sky-rocketed. We have to think twice before taking up the project,” she added.

The Director of the Rehabilitation Centre for Blind Women, Mannarpuram, Priya Theodre points out that the daily expenditure on provisions had shot up from Rs.3,000 in February to Rs.5,000 now. The corresponding hike in vegetables during the period is from Rs.650 to Rs.1,000. The Rehabilitation Centre, which has 80 inmates and 27 staff members, has stopped the supply of snacks in the evening, a regular feature that was in vogue since its inception.

“We supplied ‘sundal’ or ‘porikadalai’ in the evening. With the inflation on the rise, we had dispensed with this supply. However, the snacks are given whenever sponsors volunteer,” she says. The Rehabilitation Centre has to purchase 40 kg of sugar due to limited supply in the ration.

The president of Seva Sangam Committee, which runs a charity home for about 600 school students and destitute women, says that the hike in the LPG price has hard hit the monthly expenditure of the Sangam. About Rs.24,000 is spent on LPG alone.

Expenditure on provision has shot up from Rs.25,000 to Rs.40,000 between February and July, while vegetables are being purchased now for Rs.30,000 against Rs.22,000 in February.

An additional Rs.1,000 has to be shelved out now for the purchase of milk. Although the Sangam has been finding it quiet tough despite grant from the State Government for the destitute women and support from the philanthropists.

The Sangam does not allow inflation to introduce any austerity measure. “We maintain quality and quantity in our daily menu. Sharing of expenditure towards LPG cylinders would be of much relief to us,” she says.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu