Rajasthan Foundation Kolkata to rev up

Today evening I organised a get together over high tea at The Taj Bengal with Vinod Ajmera, Executive Director, Rajasthan Foundation, Government of Rajasthan (picture). I organised this formal get together as the Honorary Secretary of the Kolkata Chapter of Rajasthan Foundation which is an autonomous body instituted by the Government of Rajasthan.

Mr Ajmera very recently assumed charge as the Executive Director. As a state official he is also the Additional Commissioner, Bureau of Investment Promotion, in the Industry Department of the Rajasthan Government.

It was a small get together of about 25 people in which some key persons from other Rajasthani organisations in the city (pictures) were invited besides the committee members of the Kolkata chapter of the Rajasthan Foundation.

To be honest, the Rajasthan Foundation was almost non-functional for the last 18 to 20 months. I had personally mentioned about this to the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on a number of occasions in last 12 months. He had always given me a positive answer and had assured me that he would come to Kolkata and the Foundation would be active again.

But after two years since the current government came to power the CM’s trip to Kolkata is still due. In fact in my last meeting with him I had told him that hardly any work was done and the felicitation function, for which he had given his consent, was due. I had told him that I wanted to resign from my post in the Foundation as I strongly felt that the Foundation’s Kolkata Chapter, during my tenure as the secretary, had achieved a lot and that it was time someone else took over to carry forward the good work. He had put his hand on my shoulder and laughed away my suggestion.

During the past two years, many of my so called `well wishers’ had announced that they would become the Secretary or the President of the Foundation soon. Some of them had even spread the word that I had been removed from my post and that’s why the Kolkata Chapter of the Foundation was defunct.

The get together at the Taj Bengal put to rest all these rumours as Mr Ajmera went on record to say that the Kolkata Chapter was not only the most active chapter of Rajasthan Foundation but also kept the Foundation alive at the time when the headquarters in Jaipur wasn’t active.

He also said that now things would be streamlined and the head office in Jaipur would extend all cooperation and support to Kolkata. I hope Ajmera’s visit signals the fact that the Rajasthan Foundation Kolkata Chapter is active again.

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