London cycling event to raise funds for Covid relief in South Asia
Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 Jun, 2021 01:04 PM
London, June 11 (IANS) The Prince of Wales and Manoj Badale, lead owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Rajasthan Royals, on Thursday flagged off a cycling event here to raise funds for Covid relief in South Asia.
More than 30 cyclists, who started off at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, are taking part in the 420km-long event that will see them visit some of England's most iconic royal households and palaces over four days, a Rajasthan Royals statement on Friday.
Badale, who is also the British Asian Trust chairman, aims to raise funds to help people who have "suffered from the effects of the pandemic".
The team is being led by Rohit Chadha, a supporter of the British Asian Trust and founder of the event.
Rajasthan Royals had announced Rs 7.5 crore as contribution towards Covid relief to help with "immediate support to people in India impacted by the surge" of the pandemic.
"We've all got our responsibility to do our bit for the people of South Asia that are suffering at the hands of a devastating pandemic, especially the ones that are disadvantaged. It's an initiative that is looking pan-region and to harness complete effort towards regenerating a certain section of the population that needs help on various fronts," said Badale in the statement.
India is said to be preparing a more than $18 billion recovery and sustainability package for its industries and large workforce in the unorganised sector, industry sources in the know said on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government is currently addressing the compliance related issues and an economic package covering issues of concern to the industry would be announced separately later.
Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath government on Wednesday deployed over 12,000 mobile vans, e-rickshaws, and 'thelas' (handcarts) to ensure doorstep delivery of food items during the lockdown.
An unprecedented 60 per cent of Indians believe that the coronavirus threat is hyperbolized, even as the number of confirmed cases in the country surged past 400 on Monday.
