Industrialist Ratan Tata on Saturday announced a whopping Rs 500 crore help to fight the coronavirus pandemic in India. Elsewhere, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar announced that he was donating Rs 25 crore to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the same purpose.
Tata took to his social media pages to make the announcement as he wrote, “The COVID 19 crisis is one of the toughest challenges we will face as a race. The Tata Trusts and the Tata group companies have in the past risen to the needs of the nation. At this moment, the need of the hour is greater than any other time.”
The money donated by Tata will be used for ‘personal protective equipment for the medical personnel on the frontlines, respiratory systems for treating increasing cases, testing kits to increase per capita testing, setting up modular treatment facilities for infected patients and knowledge management and training of health workers and the general public.”
Akshay Kumar, for his part, responded to an appeal by the prime minister and pledged Rs 25 crore from his side. He wrote, “This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to
@narendramodi ji’s PM-CARES Fund. Let’s save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai.
This is that time when all that matters is the lives of our people. And we need to do anything and everything it takes. I pledge to contribute Rs 25 crores from my savings to @narendramodi ji’s PM-CARES Fund. Let’s save lives, Jaan hai toh jahaan hai. ?? https://t.co/dKbxiLXFLS
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) March 28, 2020
Former India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has reportedly donated Rs 25 lakh each to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the fight against COVID-19.
The Indian government is facing severe criticism for announcing a nationwide lockdown at incredibly short notice. 19 people have died in India while more than 700 have reportedly tested positive for the virus.
