Big B donates Rs 30 lakh to debt-ridden farmers

Wardha:  In an initiative to lessen burden of debt-ridden farmers in the Vidarbha region, a local club here handed over cheques amounting to nearly Rs 30 lakhs to 114 farmers on behalf of Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.[caption id="attachment_309857" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="PTI"][/caption]The cheques were handed over to farmers by local MP Datta Meghe on May 13, with the help of which the farmers would be able to clear their debts ranging between Rs 25,000 and Rs 1,50,000, a release issued by an NGO said.Writing about his philanthropy on his blog, the actor wrote,"Yes I work for cancer and aids, for the education of the girl child, for blood banks, for people of lesser means in distress, for friends who cannot match the financial requirements for their medical care, and much and many more such entities, but I would be damned if I mentioned this on a public platform.""I firmly believe that the gratitude that such operations bring, the peace and well being it infuses us with, is an energy that is difficult to replicate," he said. As many as 114 farmers from 20 villages in Wardha district were chosen for the financial assistance, provided on behalf of Bachchan, who was not present at the function. Union Bank of India, State Bank of India, Bank of India and Wardha District Co-operative Bank had provided crop loans to farmers.Meanwhile, NGO Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti welcomed the gesture made by the megastar. with inputs from PTI