City cops organise special lunch for slum children at restaurant

Bhubaneswar: A swanky restaurant on Tuesday afternoon was filled with giggles of children from various city slums as they enjoyed delicious and lavish meal at a fun-filled event, organised by the commissionerate police, as part of the ongoing Daan Utsav (Joy of Giving Week).
This year’s Daan Utsav, which began on October 2 and coincided with Durga Puja, has been extended for two weeks with participation of many new organisations apart from the regular ones. The event was cancelled for the past two years due to the Covid pandemic.
“We had a lot of fun at the party. The food was very tasty and there were so many varieties,” said Srikant Goud, a 13-year-old from Salia Sahi.
Bakul Foundation that has been organising Daan Utsav since 2009 launched the Gift a Child Her First Book campaign this year. People have been contributing in multiples of Rs 70 (the cost of one book per child) to provide books to children aged 4 to 6 years.
“The books have been distributed among 5,000 children who cannot buy them on their own,” said the organisation’s founder Sujit Mahapatra. Besides, over 300 volunteers, divided in 20 groups, conducted various fun and learning activities for children in 50 slums across the city over the past week.