Doha: Indian Benevolent Forum Elects New Committee

Media Release
Pics by Alexis Castelino
Daijiworld Media Network - Doha

Doha, Feb 3: Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) has formed its new managing committee for the year 2010-2012 from seven elected, five nominated and three nominated satellite towns representatives cumulating to president and 15 members in the managing committee.  The portfolios and responsibility allocation to all managing members were decided as follows in its first kick off meeting as indicated below:

Presiden: Nilangshu Dey
Vice President: Habibun Nabi
General Secretary: Divakar Poojary
Treasurer: Jatin Pathak
Secretary - Event: K Mohammed Easa
Secretary - Sponsorship: Devis Edakulathur
Head of Medical Assistance: Mrs Usha Chowksey
Head of Repatriation: Kareem Abdulla
Head of Minor Assistance: Mrs Mani Rathi
Head of Death Case and Supples: B Wilson Babu
Head of Membership and Awareness: Clarence Joseph
Head of Social Schemes: Sam Basheer
Dukhan Representative: Arvind Patil
Al Khor Representative: Krishna Kumar
Ummsaid Representative: Shivkant Mirkar

The new chief coordinating officer of ICBF is Anil Nautiyal, second secretary, Embassy of India who has replaced Harish C Arora due to his relocation.  The new managing committee has started functioning from today.  ICBF president Nilangshu Dey explained few areas to give more thrust this year to enhance the activities of ICBF for benefit of the needy and deserving members of the community.

In view of extending the ICBF help desk facilities to satellite towns as Al Khor, Dukhan and Ummsaid as major numbers of the industrial workers are staying at those locations.  So ICBF Al Khor, ICBF Dukhan and ICBF Ummsaid units will be formed independently by taking 5 to 7 representatives from local organizations and individuals residing in those areas to provide the serivces/assistances to the needy and deserving members of the community.  These units will be made functional by this month end and will be operated at specific location which will be announced later.  Embassy is extending full support for implementing those ICBF unit help desks to those satellite towns.  These help desks can provide return air ticket to India for any deserving person for deportation, legal and immigration assistance and for various other minor assistance, financial assistance for medical treatment, provide food supplies to stranded labourers and medical referral to ICBF panel doctor in Al Khor / Dukhan, so that any such deserving patient can be treated by local doctor at ICBFs cost.

Another area of thrust will be to increase its membership strength as we have only 1260 life members.  Considering the large strength of Indian expatriates at Qatar, we have targeted to reach 2500 members by end of this year for which various awareness programs in all parts of Qatar will be held from March onwards.  This increase of life membership will also fetch necessary resources to provide various assistances to the needy persons.  Though ICBF works exclusively for underprivileged persons at Qatar but awareness about its various activities are still unknown to most of those workers.  So ICBF plans for organizing such awareness campaign through various labour camps using posters / pamphlets and communcating with the camp boss.

Since last few years the number and total quantum of assistances are increasing which requires large amount of resources to sustain.  Further with proper functioning of ICBF satellite units, the requirement of such assistances may further increase and accordingly this year we are planning to conduct various events in sports, cultural and in other areas to generate the resouces.  We also plan to improve the communication with the life members and regularly appraise about the activities of the forum through newsletter which in turn will help in membership campaign as well as raising resources from teh life member against our various activities.

Indian Embassy is providing full support to ICBF in meetings its objective of providing necessary assistances to the needy and deserving members of the community.