Shirdi trust to share town water bill worth 6.05 crore
NASHIK: The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST), Shirdi has decided to pay Rs 6.05 crore to the Shirdi Municipal Council as its contribution towards the development of water supply scheme for the town as part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
Senior trustee Sachin Tambe Patil said the amount will go as contribution from the trust into the public funding necessary for the implementation of AMRUT projects in the town. Shirdi is one of the first few cities in Maharashtra selected for the scheme.
“Hundreds of thousands of devotees visit Shirdi to visit the Saibaba Samadhi Mandir. Their number increases by 2 lakh during festivals and holidays. The devotees live in various hotels, lodges and other residential options available in the town. The municipal council has to ensure basic amenities for them. The council had appealed to the trust to contribute towards the public funding,” Shirdi mayor Yogita Shelke said on Tuesday.
While the municipal Council had sought Rs 9.162 crore as the trust’s share in the public funding, the temple management allotted Rs 6.587 crore. “This will help raise much-needed funds for the rejuvenation of water bodies for the supply and recharge of ground water. The special arrangement will ensure 135 litres of water daily per head for the residents of Shirdi,” Shirdi temple trust chairperson Suresh Hawre.
In the meantime, the board of temple trustees has decided to distribute 100 ambulances in April and May, in the first phase to NGOs working in Aadivasi-dominated, remote and hilly areas for medical facilities as part of Sai Ambulance Scheme. The NGOs in such areas should submit their applications to Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust along with necessary documents, said Haware.
The only condition for the NGOs to get the ambulance is that their annual turnover should be more than Rs. 5 lakh consistently in last three years. The temple will pay 75% of the ambulance price and the remaining 25% amount has to deposited by the NGOs concerned.
The temple trust has targeted to donate 500 ambulances across the state in the next five years.
