Babu gives a `charity lecture' to techies

EXHORTS THEM TO SET ASIDE A `SERVICE BUDGET' TO TAKE UP CHARITABLE ACTIVITY

Express News Service
First Published : 24 Oct 2010 04:11:40 AM IST
Last Updated : 24 Oct 2010 01:22:15 PM IST

HYDERABAD: Taking a break from his routine political activity, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu today gave an economics lecture to intellectuals and IT professionals. He encouraged them to create their own ‘service budget’ from their salary just as they set apart the household budget.

“Keep aside some money, anything from Rs 25, from your salary and use it for service activities. Do the service on your own or donate the money to any charity organisation, including NTR Memorial Trust,” Naidu exhorted the young professionals at a meeting on ‘Charity and Service’ here.

He tried to inspire them by referring to Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Wipro Premji, Tatas and Mahindras who donated huge amounts for charity. “Premji recently created a charitable trust with Rs 4,500 crore, Tatas gave `250 crore to Harvard University,” Naidu told them.

“Apart from politics, I am also doing some charity through NTR Memorial Trust,” Naidu informed them.

He said the Trust was planning to provide 20 litres of purified water at a nominal cost of Rs 2 to people in villages. Each purifier, which would cater to the drinking water needs of around 8,000 people, would be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 4 lakh. On the global economic situation, Naidu said the regulatory authorities in the US had failed in performing their tasks properly which resulted in the collapse of the economy causing a ripple effect on the global economy. In India, the regulatory authorities like the RBI had failed to regulate the interest rates of MFIs, he alleged.

Stating that AP had the best talent in the world, Naidu said India would surpass China and become an economic superpower. “China has some drawbacks. There are no elections there and the Chinese people have no opportunity to correct the mistakes of their policy-makers. But in India we have elections through which the people can change the governments that commit any mistakes,” Naidu said.

Several speakers stressed the need to rectify the past mistakes and re-elect Naidu in the future.