Prof wants written permission for collection
Educationist and social worker professor Sandip Desai, who has been collecting donations for underprivileged children for the past three years in local trains and railway stations, has now said that he wants a written permission from the railway authorities so that his endeavour remains uninterrupted.
Mr Desai’s move comes after his arrest by the RPF on Friday on charges of begging and causing nuisance to passengers in a Mumbai local. The professor was, however, let off by a railway court that reduced the fine from `1,500 to `500 on Saturday.
Senior divisional security commissioner of Mumbai, Rajendra Rupnawar said, “We have asked Mr Desai to get requisite permission from the concerned authorities. We are willing to guide him to the proper authorities to get the permission.”
Mr Desai, however, said that he had already sought permission from the concerned authorities before he started collecting money from the railway premises.
“The railway officials did not issue any permission in writing,” he said, adding, “Now I want assurance in writing from the railway authorities that I will not be troubled again while I am on my mission.”
“It should be noted that the Bombay Public Trust Act allows people to collect donations for a social cause, and it cannot be labeled as begging as I am doing it under the legal framework,” added the educationist.
A senior railway officer said, “We received complaints about Mr Desai that his act of ‘donation’ seemed like begging to many passengers.”
Mr Desai’s efforts have till now paid huge dividends as he collected `52 lakh for the schooling of under privileged children living in remote areas of Rajsthan and Maharashtra. He has been showing his statements to income tax and charity commissioner.
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