THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a rare and heart-touching gesture, LuLu Group chairman M A Yusuff Ali has promised a yearly donation of Rs one crore to an art centre here for differently abled children and assured that the contribution would continue even after his death.
In addition to that, Ali, also a Padma Shri awardee, also donated Rs 1.5 crore to the institute -- Different Arts Centre (DAC) -- which works to recognise and hone the art skills of differently abled children.
At an event organised by the institute here for the launch of the logo of the Kasargod Diversity Research Centre, the NRI businessman said that according to the government figures, there were over 8 lakh differently abled children in the state.
"It is also our social obligation to ensure these children get a good education and not just that of the parents of these children or the institute," he said.
In order to ensure that social obligation is fulfilled, Ali said he would donate Rs 1.5 crore to the DAC and handed over a cheque for the same to Gopinath Muthukad, the Executive Director of DAC's Academy of Magical Sciences.
In addition to that, during the event, the businessman also promised a yearly donation of Rs one crore to the DAC and said that the contribution would continue even after his lifetime.
"Every year this institute will get Rs one crore. It will continue even after my death. I will tell my team and will also put it down in writing to ensure that. Every January that amount will reach this institute," Ali said.
Subsequently, in a social media post, Muthukad thanked the businessman for his generous donation and his promise to continue helping out the DAC even after his death.
LuLu Group International owns the LuLu Hypermarket chain worldwide and the LuLu International Shopping Mall.