Bengaluru, Apr 26: Two businessmen brothers, Tajammul Pasha and Muzammil Pasha, in Karnataka's Kolar district have set out to help people in need amid the lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic by selling their land for Rs 25 lakh.
On seeing daily wage labourers and their families in Kolar suffer during the lockdown, the brothers said they decided to sell their land and use the money to buy essentials and food grain for a large number of poor people.
The brothers also bought oil and cereals with the money. Then they set up a tent next to their house and started a community kitchen to make food for labourers and homeless people.
"Our parents died early. When we shifted to our maternal grandmother's place at Kolar, people from communities, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims helped us survive without any religious bias," said Tajammul Pasha, visibly emotional.
The Pasha brothers are into banana cultivation and real estate. Tajammul was five and his sibling Muzammil was three when they lost their parents. They had to move from Chickbalapor to Kollar, where their grandmother lived.
"We were brought up in poverty. We survived because of the support of people of all communities and religions. We have signed the society agreement bond and handed it over to our friend who purchased our site and gave the money," the brothers said.
Once the lockdown ends and the land registrar's office opens, the remaining steps to transfer the land will be completed, they said.
So far the two brothers have supplied food grain, oil, sugar and other essentials to over 3,000 families. They have also given hand sanitizers and masks to the poor.
The Kolar administration has issued passes to their volunteers so that they can help in this difficult time.
The number of coronavirus cases in India has increased to 24,506, including 775 deaths, the Home Ministry said today, adding that 1,429 cases and 57 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
Amid a countrywide lockdown to check the spread of the highly contagious illness, which began on March 25, the government last night issued an order to allow neighbourhood shops to remain open with conditions; malls across India continue to remain shut.
After public outcry, health and family welfare minister UT Khader had urged the finance department on Tuesday for ICU tax exemption.
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It is only in India and many under-developed nations that Health and Education is made costly. Health and Education in many developed countries is their Birth Right and hence they are available to them either free of cost or highly subsidized form. We pay taxes for every thing we buy and use but why can't Govt. afford to implement the scheme. In the present scenario only rich can have good health and education, others have to either do some diploma or look for job early. The Govt. College and Hospitals are pathetic to go. Can they develop such that they are in par with Private institutions? Or do politicians have stakes in private companies that they don't want to improve the services of Govt. run institutions?
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