Inspired by PM Modi, Chandrakant Kulkarni says contributed for nation's development

Retired government employee Chandrakant Kulkarni, who donated almost a third of his pension from June 2015 to September 2019 to the Swachh Bharat Kosh, today said that he has firm belief in Prime Minister Narendra Modi whom he described like his brother.

Inspired by Prime Minister Modi's 'Swachh Bharat' campaign, Chandrakant yesterday presented 52 post-dated cheques worth Rs. 2,60,000 towards the Swachh Bharat Kosh to Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Pune.

Kulkarni told ANI that he has contributed the amount for the country's development as he was extremely sad to hear the Prime Minister's address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 last year.

"He had said that 73 percent in our country don't even have toilets. Hearing that, I felt really sad. That's when I decided to contribute my pension money towards the development of our country," he said.

Talking about his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, the retired government employee said that he was shocked to see a big personality like the Prime Minister of India come all the way to meet a common man.

"I felt as if I met my elder brother," he said.

Meanwhile, Kulkarni's son Mangal said that his father was highly inspired by the 'Swachh Bharat' initiative.

"After his retirement, my father made himself busy with social works. He was highly inspired by the Swachh Bharat campaign. He then decided to give some amount from his pension to Swachh Bharat Kosh," Mangal told ANI.

Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day showered praise on Kulkarni for donating one-third of his pension to the Swachh Bharat Kosh.

"A retired government employee giving almost a third of his pension for a Swachh Bharat. What can be a greater inspiration?" he said while addressing the nation in the 21st edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme.

The Swachh Bharat Kosh has been set up by the government to facilitate channelization of philanthropic contributions and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds towards the Clean India Campaign as individuals and philanthropists expressed interest in contributing to efforts to achieve the objective of 'Swachh Bharat' by the year 2019.