DHARWAD: As a young boy, Ningappa Gatin (43) was unable to study further than SSLC due to financial crunch. Since the past decade, he has been giving away his remuneration of Rs 5,000 per month to meritorious and poor students. Till date, 300 students have received Rs 2 lakh from him.
A member of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat and president of the Standing Committee of Social Justice, Gatin does not want anyone to quit studies like he did. But he had to discontinue studies after the fourth standard. After a gap of years, he completed SSLC. But he could not afford college.
Gatin’s political journey began when he became a member of the Murkatti Gram Panchayat in 2005. Since then, he had not used a single rupee of his remuneration for his own use. Every year, he organises a programme, Pratibha Puraskar and distributes the remuneration to needy students. He has been giving away small cash prizes to meritorious and poor students selected by school teachers and committee members.
“The importance of education cannot be overstated. It can be the catalyst needed to pull families out of poverty. It is the most important for development. As I faced hard days and could not fulfil my dreams, today I am extending a helping hand to the poor and needy,” he said.