SPP pursues education

The largest expenditure incurred by the Surat Parsi Panchayat (SPP) Funds and Properties in the year ended March 31, 2003 was on account of education, according to their income and expenditure statement forwarded by the president of the Panchayat Darius Master. As against Rs 12,744,344 spent on education, Rs 1,396,071 was spent on medical relief and Rs 838,516 on relief of poverty.

The trust fund or corpus of the SPP stands at Rs 88,037,380 with their immovable properties valued at Rs 16,631,559 and their investments at Rs 80,761,831.

Among the educational institutions managed by the SPP, the Surat Parsi Boys Orphanage has a corpus of Rs 8,335,116 and the Nariman Girls Orphanage shows a corpus of Rs 9,774,244. The immovable property of the Boys Orphanage is valued at Rs 3,503,175, and the Girls Orphanage at Rs 870,565. At the Boys Orphanage diet expenses stand at Rs 629,209 and salaries at Rs 181,839. Comparatively at the Girls Orphanage, the diet expenses are Rs 710,651 and salaries are Rs 275,415.

At the Bai P. M. Patel Singanporwala English School which shows a corpus of Rs 407,166, the largest expenditure of Rs 785,637 is on account of salaries.

There are two technical institutes run by the SPP too: Seth Sorabji Nauserwanji Parukh Polytechic Instititute which shows a corpus of Rs 137,405 and the Seth K. H. Alpaiwala Industrial Institute for Women and Girls which shows a corpus of Rs 171,446. At the Parukh Polytechnic scholarships account for a high expenditure of Rs 84,500 while at the Alpaiwala Institute salaries account for the highest expenditure of Rs 23,628.

Also falling within the purview of the SPP is The First Dastur Mehrji Rana Trust Fund whose corpus stands at Rs 1,047,171. During the year Rs 79,080 were extended as scholarships and school fees as also contribution to educational institutions.

Among the medical facilities extended by the SPP there is the Seth R. D. Tarachand Surat Parsi General Hospital which shows a corpus of Rs 21,925,812. Its highest expenditure of Rs 747,071 is on salaries, followed by Rs 223,222 as committee expenses, even higher than the diet expenses of Rs 166,227. At the Bai G. N. Mehta Parsi Maternity Hospital where the corpus stands at Rs 63,557, the largest item of expenditure, Rs 30,711 was incurred on ex-gratia payment to staff, followed by Rs 45,756 on medicine. The Nariman Home and Infirmary has a corpus of Rs 31,767,114 and spent Rs 408,454 during the year on repairs and maintenance of property. The Infirmary spends Rs 898,412 on diet, its second major expenditure being Rs 474,257 on salaries.

The Dastur Darab Pahlana Trust Surat which shows a corpus of Rs 1,075,570 incurred Rs 42,522 on medical relief and Rs 29,877 on relief of poverty. The Sorabji Burjorji Dastur Darab Pahalana Trust with a corpus of Rs 1,616,805 expended Rs 56,300 towards educational causes with the second major expenditure of Rs 41,708 being extended towards relief of poverty.

As per the SPP practice, copies of these accounts were open for inspection at the leading atash behrams, agiaries, libraries and anjuman offices.