SMVDSB extends social support to 40 underprivileged students

KATRA: As part of its continued commitment towards social support initiatives and community development, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) extended support to 40 underprivileged students residing at Disha Chhatravas, Kadmal managed by Sewa Bharti, Jammu & Kashmir. The residential hostel presently accommodates children from economically weaker sections of society hailing from different parts of Jammu & Kashmir and provides them with education, accommodation and other essential facilities. On behalf of the Shrine Board, Shri Alok Kumar Maurya, Addl. Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB along with officers of the Shrine Board handed over sports equipment, sports shoes and tracksuits to the students at the hostel premises. The items distributed included volleyball nets and balls, footballs, badminton rackets, shuttlecocks and nets, table tennis rackets, nets and balls, rings, cricket bats, carrom boards, chess sets, besides 40 pairs of sports shoes and tracksuits. The Shrine Board, under the Chairmanship of Shri Manoj Sinha, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, JK-UT, remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote the welfare, education and overall development of students from underprivileged backgrounds. The initiative also seeks to encourage active participation in sports alongside academics, helping inculcate discipline, teamwork and healthy lifestyle habits among young students. Pertinent to mention that the Shrine Board has consistently undertaken a range of community-centric initiatives in the fields of education, healthcare, environmental sustainability in the region. The present initiative further reflects its steadfast commitment towards inclusive growth and the holistic development of society, particularly the younger generation in the Reasi district. In a parallel effort to promote sporting excellence, the Shrine Board also distributed high-quality sports shoes to ten budding athletes of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sports Complex, Katra. The support has been extended to encourage promising sportspersons from the region by providing them with quality sporting gear, enabling them to train effectively and strive for higher levels of performance. Among those present on the occasion were Shri Dhruv Gupta, Director Sports; Shri Vinay Khajuria, Assistant Conservator of Forests; other officers of the Shrine Board; representatives of Sewa Bharti; and the beneficiary students.