RIPE Shekhar Mehta felicitated in Pokhara, Nepal
Rotary clubs in Nepal and Bhutan under RID 3292 have grown strong after bifurcation from Kolkata, said RIPE Shekhar Mehta during his two-day visit to Pokhara, Nepal, in February.
He expressed happiness that he served as district governor (1999–2000) when Nepal clubs were part of RID 3290 before the district got divided into 3291 and 3292. He urged Rotarians to set big goals, and serve to change lives. “Rotarians must work hard to make Nepal 100 per cent literate by 2030,” he said. All the 17 clubs from Region-4 of RID 3292, Nepal, felicitated RIPE Shekhar Mehta and Rashi.
RRFC Basudev Golyan and over 175 Rotarians including past governors were present at the programme. Event chair Keshab Prasad Acharya gave the welcome speech and IPDG Kiran Lal Shrestha introduced RIPE Mehta to the gathering.
Mehta handed over an OCT angiography machine ($95,000) to the Himalaya Eye Hospital, Gharipatan. This GG project was supported by RC Akita North, RID 2540, Japan, which partnered with RC Pokhara Midtown, the implementing club. The equipment helps in treating retinal disorder in patients with diabetes and hypertension.
He also handed over 13 street lamps to the Bandipur Rural Municipality. This project was executed by RC Chitwan as part of beautification of Bandipur to promote tourism. Addressing the presidents-elect, Mehta urged them to focus on teamwork and reach out to the needy. Service and membership growth should be their mantra,
he said.
Awards for Nepal journalists
Mehta presented Rotary Journo Awards and Basu Rotary Vocational Awards to 16 media people and journalists who had written or covered about Rotary projects across the seven provinces of this Himalayan country.
In his address, he noted that Nepali journalists are working closely with Rotary for doing good in the world and “in the coming days media should continue to do so for the betterment of the needy.”
It was during the tenure of PDG Tirtha Man Sakhya (2011–12), the Journo Awards were instituted to build a good rapport between RID 3292 and the media fraternity. Each award carries a certificate of appreciation for enhancing the public image of Rotary and a cash prize of Nepali ₹25,000.
Mehta also handed over Basu Rotary Vocational Awards for good governance to Ajay Babu Sibakoti, chief editor, Hamrakura.com and Prahlad Rijal from Arthik Karobar, a popular daily. This award carries a cash prize of Nepali ₹5 lakh and a commendation letter each. The Basu Awards (₹10 lakh) were sponsored by Rtn Surendra Govinda Joshi and his spouse Badri Laxmi.
