APP shows surplus

The 400 chairs provided by the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat (APP) at the Sir Navroji Vakil Hall, Parsi Sanatorium grounds for its annual general meeting (AGM) were inadequate to seat the unprecedented number of attendees and several persons spilled out on the lawns of the nearby Lalkaka Hall. The new APP board, which has been functioning since October 7, 2012, had sent members the annual report for 2012-13 well in advance and the meeting was held on June 9, 2013, within the stipulated time frame of 90 days after the end of the financial year, mentions APP president Brig (Retd) Jahangir Anklesaria, in a write-up sent to Parsiana.

Trustees and office bearers of the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat

A khushali nu jashan marked the start of the meeting with four senior priests led by Ervad Darabshaw Karanjia of the Vakil Adarian and Ervad Farokh Randeria of the Kankaria Adarian. This was followed by the AGM which began with the reading of the minutes of the previous AGM by joint general secretary Phiroze Davar.
Referring to the main points of the annual report for 2012-13 joint general secretary Ervad Aspi Unvala highlighted the fact that the APP has managed to not only reverse the trend of losses during the past few years but has posted an increase in income over expenditure to the tune of approximately Rs 13 lakh, the write-up notes. With an increase in the APP’s deposit base, its overdraft utilization has been stopped, all outstanding tax payments have been cleared, its loan book cleared of anomalies and outstanding collections of rents and other matters tackled to a large extent. The gathering was informed that repairs and maintenance work was in progress in the estates managed by the APP. The Lalkaka Hall, which is being given on contract brings in an additional income of Rs 7.5 lakhs annually, the write-up mentions.

Large gathering at the AGM

All five trustees, both general secretaries, eight managing committee members and the auditors were present and gave the attendees a free hand to ask questions regarding the financial and other aspects of its working, but not a single question was raised, underlining the community’s faith in the working of this board, states the write-up.
Anklesaria then expanded on the board’s activities since it started its term and outlined plans for future endeavors. The topics he tackled included maintenance of the dakhma grounds, the agiary and its priests as well as the oft neglected issue of treatment of nassessalars and khandhias. Critical issues affecting the community such as care and protection for senior citizens as well as nurturing the youth through the APP’s educational grants and loans and other benevolent schemes were also mentioned by the president who reminded the gathering that though much has been done, far more remains to be tackled. He thanked one and all for the support and faith shown by the community and assured them that better times await in the years to come.
With the business part of the AGM over, it was time for entertainment in the form of tambola and other games conducted by Firdose Kapadia, former managing committee member of the APP. The gathering, which had grown in number to 600 by this time, then partook of a highly subsidized dinner catered by Nozer Daruwala of Surat. The write-up mentions that while the APP hosts three vegetarian gahanbars during the year, this dinner offered non-vegetarian fare to cater to the tastes of hardcore Parsi meat lovers of the community.