NGO’s website to help locals keep city green

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 3

The Voice of Amritsar(VOA), a local NGO, with the help of its volunteers and contributors has been working for the cause of cleaner and greener Amritsar. 

Over 150 volunteers of the NGO met here on Sunday to launch the website, www.voiceofamritsar.com with a purpose to further expand the forum and to enable people contribute to the weekly ‘joy of giving’ campaigns. 

Founder member of the NGO and professor of surgery Dr Rakesh Sharma said, “Though we have over 85,000 members on our page and around 500 active members who attend the weekly events physically and contribute monetarily.” Sharma said that the idea of website was incepted after a recent incident in which a NRI, settled in Australia, wanted to contribute for children at his school. 

“We felt that people from Amritsar can come forward to contribute for social causes and the website would help them monitor the activities and donations received by the NGO,” he said adding that they would ensure complete transparency. 

The VOA has made a name for it in the city as people can often be seen posting their grievances and complaints on its page. “We have been acting as a bridge between common people and administration in ensuring civic amenities in the city. Through the website we would further this cause,” said Seenu Arora, president of the VOA. 

The website has been created by the VOA volunteer Rajwinder Pal. “It would not have been possible to bring so many like-minded people on a physical platform without harnessing the social media. Our objective is to bring people together so that they can set an example and not merely criticise governments and administrations for all ills,” he said.