PALANPUR: The festival of lights is dispelling darkness from the lives of 100-odd orphans in North Gujarat’s Banaskantha district.
On Friday, Banaskantha district collector Anand Patel distributed a kit comprising of clothes, sweets and crackers at Palanpur’s Nutan school and announced that 102 orphans will be given Rs 3,000 a month as support.
On the lines of some developed countries, the state government has rolled out foster parenting scheme to promote adoption of orphans. The amount is given to foster parents of the orphan child.
“Diwali is a festival of lights. Let the poor and the unfortunate feel that there is someone to care for them,” Patel told TOI.
After Patel’s persuasion, an Ahmedabad-based donor came forward to distribute sweets, clothes and crackers to 600 families of sweepers in temple town Ambaji.
In Patan, Gordhan Thakkar, continued spreading happiness in lives of poor and downtrodden for the 12th consecutive year.
Thakkar brings poor and orphans from railway station area, footpath and market areas to shelter home where all are provided proper bath, haircut and later fed.
This year, Thakkar received support from Beba and Lakshman Patni from Patni Mandal.
“Unlike others, I do not worship wealth on Dhanteras. Instead, I do my best to help the poor and orphans as serving the poor is akin to worshipping god and the happiness you get by serving them is inexpressible,” said Thakkar, who brought festive fervour in the lives of 25 orphans this Dhanteras.