The special blood donation campaign held at the house of power i.e. Project Building has apparently failed to enthuse the Ministers and MlAs, though several of them visited the camp opening on Thursday.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who launched the drive, was willing to donate blood but the doctors did not allow him as he had donated blood a few days back. According to the rules one can donate blood only once in a month, an official said.
The Ministers, who visited the camp, organised by Jharkhand State Aids Control Society (JACS), included Mannan Mallick, Rajendra Singh and Annapruna Devi. "But they have not turned up for blood donation," added the official. Saturday is the last day for the three-day drive. Nepal House, another Secretariat of the State Government, will host the camp on September 30. The Government officials, particularly from the police department, however, actively volunteered to donate blood.
Chief Secretary RS Sharma and DGP Rajiv Kumar and along with the other officials actively participated in the blood donation camp for the noble cause. "Today, on second day of the camp a total of 69 people donated their bloods including the Chief Secretary, DGP, NRHM director Manish Ranjan along with some of the officials of NRHM and JSACS," said a JSACS official requesting anonymity.
As many as 55 officials of the Project building donated blood on the first day of the camp.
The DGP, in fact, has issued a circular telling the police officials to volunteer for blood donation. "More policemen are expected to turn up on Saturday as a circular has been issued in the police department regarding the blood donation camp. Police officials were willing to donate their blood for this noble cause," he said.
Speaker Shashank Shekhar Bhokta said that Ministers and MlAs should actively participate in the blood donation as blood banks in Jharkhand have run out of blood. "It is a pious work," he added.
The CM reacting on the low turnout of the officials in the camp said that there is a need to change the mentality. To promote this cause, responsible persons need to come forward and actively participate in the blood donation camp as there is no alternative of blood in this world, he said. Soren was speaking during the concluding session of Police Meet at JAP-I ground in Ranchi.