Youth group that raised funds to feed drought hit students fails to keep its word

Acting at the criticism filed through scholars of Fergusson College, the charity commissioner has initiated an inquiry into the operating of SHH

The people working Students Helping Hand (SHH) were not such good Samaritans in the end, if the court cases gained through the charity commissioner on Wednesday are anything to go through. In truth, acting on their submission, the charity commissioner has initiated an inquiry into the NGO, purportedly out to assist scholars hailing from drought troubled areas of the state.

A gaggle of students, mostly from Fergusson College (FC), have reported that when whipping up a large number of exposure through the media and raising voluminous budget, SHH has stopped feeding them since May. It could also be recalled that even Mirror had run the story — ‘Drought-hit scholars in city get unfastened meal services and products from seniors’ — in February, essaying the initiative to take care of the daily foods of the impoverished scholars from those economically embattled spaces.

FC scholars (most sensible) alleged that SHH founder Kuldeep Ambekar (far left) used them and social media to garner budget for his initiative, while they have got no longer been given promised unfastened tiffins since the starting of May; (far proper) Mirror reported the initiative on February 11, 2019

SHH, which currently claims that it is serving 600 scholars around the city with unfastened foods, has stopped serving the 50 scholars it used to in Fergusson College since May. “In the identify of students from drought-prone spaces, SHH has raised massive quantities of fund. They catered to us for two months.

But since May they stopped supplying the meals. This, after taking massive donations from various donors at the pretext of helping us,” the criticism mentioned.

They contended that the founder of SHH, Kuldeep Ambekar, had constructed up a strong network of businesses, tapping into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget, at the grounds that his workforce was once helping needy scholars. The workforce received a large number of traction up to now six months, roping in participation from businessmen, politicians and even social staff.

But all of the exercise now turns out be one for exhibition rather than continuance of the great paintings, the complainants contended. “Ambekar unfold fake data via newspapers, attracting donors, who pitched in lakhs of rupees to assist it in its mentioned project. But we should indicate that Ambekar is now not helping us and request the charity commissioner to run an inquiry and begin felony action in opposition to SHH,” the criticism reiterated.

The scholars listed out names of Chetan Dahiya of Anant Industries, Shridhar Joshi of JCB Chemicals Pvt Ltd, businessman-turned-politician Rohit Pawar, Ritu Chabbria of Mukul Madhav Foundation – a trust supported through Finolex, Nimesh Smurti from Mumbai and Siddharth Dhende, the town’s deputy mayor, among others, as individuals who have contributed to the reason.

Clearly feeling let down, Sunil Jadhav, a pupil of FC recounted, “We are not being given the shape for requisitioning the tiffin, regardless of several requests since early this month. We really feel utterly utilized by the group to gain mileage and make a killing. Ambekar isn't just slighting us but also dishonest the donors who really sought after to do something sure for the society.”

The unfastened foods came at a price pointed out Ankush Helode from Garware College. “Students availing the unfastened meals had been compelled to attend every match (mostly politically tilted) of SHH. This was once the mandate in the event that they sought after the foods to stay coming. Having no choice we complied. We had been puppets SHH positioned sooner than the donors and the media, to endorse their paintings,” he observed on hindsight.

Even when the foods had been coming, the scholars’ sense of gratification was once quickly dissipated through the dwindling high quality of the offerings. “We had been so pleased with the arrangement. We chose no longer to go back to our villages, as lets paintings and earn some money to be sent back to our families going through hardship, with our foods taken care of. But this didn't remaining and now we're in trouble. Even when it came the meals high quality was once no longer so great and every so often they arrived as past due as four pm and 11 pm,” recalled Rushikesh Ballar, some other FC scholar.

Acknowledging the criticism, Dilip Deshmukh, Joint Charity Commissioner, Pune region, knowledgeable, “We’ve issued inquiry orders in opposition to SHH in accordance with the criticism. We’ve sought a detailed investigation. The scholars have complained, however we cannot act purely in accordance with their criticism. Action might be taken pursuant to getting the inquiry record filed through our officer.”

Vehemently refuting the allegations Ambekar shrugged them off pronouncing, “Students are required to submit paperwork to prove their eligibility. We are juggling 3,000 requests right now, so why should we imagine those scholars. It is not for the scholars to question us as the decision on who to serve rests with the founder of the group and the donors. It is not the scholars’ place to question who helps and who's giving media bites. We’ve no longer used names of specific scholars to boost the budget. These scholars were given the benefit of our paintings for remaining three months, so why should we proceed supporting them?”