The North American Telugu Association (NATA) aims to contribute to the progress of the state in every way possible and is committed to help Telugu people in both North America and in Andhra Pradesh, said Sanjeeva T Reddy, the newly-elected president of NATA.
Addressing a media conference here on Monday, Sanjeeva Reddy, a noted gastroenterologist in USA, who took over as president of the organisation on January 19, 2013, and outlined various programmes of NATA.
The organisation which was formed two years ago by like-minded people with the primary objective of serving Telugu people across the globe.
It has 6,000 members as of now and the new executive committee aims to take the membership to 10,000 in the next two years.
Continuing the NATA Seva Days programme, first organised in December 2011, the association will conduct the programme in December this year.
“It will be a biennial programme and several projects have been chalked out to be taken up as a part of it. They include awarding scholarships to merit students from government colleges, holding health camps, setting up of water purification plants and organising cultural programme to encourage artistes,” he said.
NATA will be giving away scholarships to five top students in Intermediate from each district in the state. “Last year, we had given `10,000 each as scholarship and will increase the amount this year significantly. The exact amount will be announced later. They will be given purely on merit. We will take the toppers list from Intermediate Board for the purpose,” Sanjeeva Reddy explained.
The organisation had conducted several medical camps across the state over the last two years and will be conducting more.
It had set up 20 water purification plants in Nalgonda district, where fluorisis is rampant. Now it plans to set up another over 20 plants, he said.
NATA also aims to help the children of Telugus in USA for getting internship in medical institutions in India.
Its second convention and youth conference will be held at Georgia World Congress Centre, Atlanta, from July 4 to 6, 2014.