Malayalees in Odisha join hands to encourage public donations for Kerala flood victims

BHUBANESWAR: Worried over the difficulty of their families and friends back home at flood-ravaged Kerala, the Malayalees of Odisha have set up a flood relief information centre in the city to encourage people of Odisha to come forward for donation and help the flood victims.

All Malayalees under the banner of Kerala Kala Samiti Bhubaneswar, All India Malayalee Association - Odisha Unit and World Malayalee Council (WMC) - Odisha Province have come forward for this cause. Members of these three associations have jointly set up "the Kerala flood relief information centre" near Vani Vihar square in the Capital which will function for a week and serve as a facilitation point for the people who would like to donate to the cause of Kerala deluge.

"This information centre is a place for providing proper assistance to people will to make donations and are looking for authentic channels through which they can donate," said Kerala Kala Samiti secretary K Mohanan, adding, "The centre will also function as contact point for the local people whose relatives are stranded in flood affected regions of Kerala."

WMC Odisha province chairman Benjamine Simon said opening of the information centre is an effort by their community members in Odisha to reach out to people to help the flood-hit people in whatever way possible. "Several people and organisations across the globe have come forward and are working hand in hand to help the flood victims and people in distress in Kerala. In this process, a group of our community in Odisha is already working to collect essential relief materials for the flood victims," Simon added.

The Malyalee communities have also launched a mobile van carrying the messages "help rebuild the lives of the flood affected people in Kerala" which will move around the city to encourage people to donate for the cause.

The vehicles carries the information regarding how to make donations online to Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) Kerala with account and other details such as Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund; Account number 67319948232; State Bank of India;City Branch, Thiruvananthapuram; IFSC no SBIN0070028; PAN- AAAGD0584M; Swift code - SBININBBT08.

Meanwhile, the administration has also come forward to support the initiative of these communities. City Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena and Bhubaneswer DCP Anup Sahu who inaugurated the information centre and flagged of the mobile van urged the residents of the city to come forward for donation and help people in distress.