Gutkha maker backs out of Rs 10-cr deal with GU
A pan masala company that promised to donate Rs 10 crore to Gujarat University for renaming the convention centre developed cold feet after dailies slammed the association; proposal was cleared by the executive council
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, December 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011122820111228024508732592af0c/Gutkha-maker-backs-out-of-Rs-10cr-deal-with-GU.html)
A gutkha maker who had promised to donate a huge sum for the Gujarat University Convention Centre backed out at the last minute after there was a lot of hue and cry in the media over the tobacco company’s association with an education institute.
According to a deal with Gujarat University by the Pan Parag company owner in June, the company was expected to donate Rs 10 crore to the university and the varsity in turn would rename the convention centre as Mansukhlal Kothari Convention Centre.
The proposal was even put up before the executive council, which cleared the deal. However, the pan masala company later developed cold feet after the university was slammed by the media and eminent people for associating itself with a gutkha company. The university had not heard from the company since.
Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi told Mirror, “The gutkha company had sent us a proposal saying they would like to donate Rs 10 crore to rename the convention centre. We had put it up before the executive council, which passed it. However, the patriarch of the company was unhappy after newspapers splashed the news that a tobacco maker was funding the centre.”
Trivedi added that it depends on the donor whether they want to give or not. “We cannot force them to donate. For the past five months we haven’t heard anything on the issue from them. The university also has not pursued the matter.”
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, December 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011122820111228024508732592af0c/Gutkha-maker-backs-out-of-Rs-10cr-deal-with-GU.html)
A gutkha maker who had promised to donate a huge sum for the Gujarat University Convention Centre backed out at the last minute after there was a lot of hue and cry in the media over the tobacco company’s association with an education institute.
According to a deal with Gujarat University by the Pan Parag company owner in June, the company was expected to donate Rs 10 crore to the university and the varsity in turn would rename the convention centre as Mansukhlal Kothari Convention Centre.
The proposal was even put up before the executive council, which cleared the deal. However, the pan masala company later developed cold feet after the university was slammed by the media and eminent people for associating itself with a gutkha company. The university had not heard from the company since.
Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi told Mirror, “The gutkha company had sent us a proposal saying they would like to donate Rs 10 crore to rename the convention centre. We had put it up before the executive council, which passed it. However, the patriarch of the company was unhappy after newspapers splashed the news that a tobacco maker was funding the centre.”
Trivedi added that it depends on the donor whether they want to give or not. “We cannot force them to donate. For the past five months we haven’t heard anything on the issue from them. The university also has not pursued the matter.”
