Amitkumar Banerjee
Amitkumar Banerjee
Mr Amitkumar Banerjee was born on 1st of October 1954 in Kalna, in Burdwan District of West Bengal to Late Shri. Indubhushan Banerjee and Late Smt. Lily Banerjee.
He is the founder of the National Level NGO SAMPARC - Social Action for Manpower Creation, Pune, Maharashtra. SAMPARC is the recipient of the National Award for Child Welfare, 1997 from the Honorable President of India.[1] [2] [3]
He is married to Mrs Ratna Banerjee, who is also a social worker and intimately associated with SAMPARC.
After his initial involvement in Flood Relief works in Nadia District of West Bengal during 1978 to 1980 and Bhoodan - rehabilitation of the poor, he moved to Maharashtra in 1984 and started working for Child Development. Since then he has been contributing to society through his NGO SAMPARC in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
He had been the Chairperson and member of the Child Welfare Committee, Pune Govt. of Maharashtra from 2005 – 2012.
He was also a member of the J.J. Act Amendment Committee, 2011-12, Ministry of Child Development, Govt. of India.
Education & Early Work
Amitkumar Banerjee completed his Post Graduation from Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi in Rural Development in the year 1978[4]. He completed M.Phil from Global University, Nagaland.
His real education in Social Work happened while working under SEDP in 1978 Flood relief and reconstruction for the poorest of the poor flood affected people in the Chapra and Tehatta Block of Nadia District, West Bengal.
The misery of bonded labor, hungry women and children and loss of hope for life among people during his work in Bhoodaan Rehabilitation and Development touched Amitkumar Banerjee deeply.
He was invited by Mrs. Bilkees Latif to join Anterbharti Balgram as Project Director in 1984 to work for Orphan and Underprivileged Children. Thus his journey of Social Work in Maharashtra started.
Organizational Development & Involvement
After his Post Graduation in XISS, Ranchi he joined as a Project Head in the Flood Relief & Rehabilitation works in Chapra and Tehatta Blocks of Nadia district in West Bengal under SEDP to develop the crisis situation created by a Major Flood in the area during 1978 that took many lives and made many people homeless and hunger stricken.
Inspired by Vinobaji Bhave of Bhoodaan Movement fame, he joined the Bhoodaan Land Development Program in Gaya, Bihar toward the settlement of the Landless poor people on the Bhoodan (gifted land) to make them capable and grow as Independent Farmers and fight against poverty, hunger and helplessness of people, women and children.
In 1984, he came to Maharashtra and joined as Director in Antar Bharti Balgram, ISC at its Lonavla Project. Under his leadership as Director the Project became one of the Best Children’s Village of SOS Pattern and was appreciated by Mr J N Kaul, Chairman – SOS India.
In 1990, he founded SAMPARC – Social Action for Manpower Creation in Pune, Maharashtra and purchased a piece of land in the name of SAMPARC at the footsteps of Bhaje Cave [5]with his meager Provident Fund balance. His work got acceptance and appreciation from the Govt. of Maharashtra. A full-fledged Children’s Village or Balgram was developed for 150 Children.
In 1997 SAMPARC was conferred the National Child-welfare Award by the Government of India[6].
By 2005, he developed SAMPARC into a big Orphanage & Education Project at Shel-Pimpalgaon, Chakan near Pune, Poynad[7]near Alibag in Raigad District, Bal Asha Ghar Nandgaon near Lonavla, SAMPARC Bhamburde Tribal School & Hostel in Bhamburde and Malavli Skill Development Centre with Hospital and Youth Hostel in Malavli. [8]
In the same period he got involved in Earthquake disaster relief in Kuchh, Gujrat and started a Shelter Home for Orphaned Children of the massive Gujrat earthquake, 2001 at Anjar. 600 Orphan Children were cared for every year. 160 girls got married and more than 1700 boys and girls from SAMPARC Orphanage established themselves in mainstream society[9].
After 2005, he developed a Housing Project for Helpless Women under a Self Help Group Program, a project with the Habitat for Humanity and Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project
During the same period, he started another Orphanage in his own House in Kolkata – Haridebpur known as SAMPARC Shishu Kendra, Kolkata 82, an Orphanage in Village Gangani near Jodhpur, Rajasthan and a centre in Bhagwati Nagar, Ganapatipule, Ratnagiri.
While working at SAMPARC Bhaje, he researched that 70% of Children in the nearby village community were not going to school. He started schools in the forest for cow herd children who used to take animals for grazing on the hills. Working for about 5 years with 160 children he succeeded in educating them to 4th std. Many students were enrolled in the SAMPARC Vocational Training Centre.
Through the Bal Bhavan Program and Education Support to Girl Children under Nanhi Kali, he reached 100% of girl children in these villages to attend school[13]. He also took school Education in 25 Villages in the West Part of Mulshi Taluka by starting Nursery School, Abhinav English Medium Schools in 1986 [14]. In 1996 he started a school up to 12th std. to cater Education to 350 poor tribal and underprivileged children. He has been instrumental in imparting Education to thousands of girls, of which more than 1000 children passed 10th and 12th Std.
He also set up a Vocational Training Centre where more than 10,000 underprivileged youth and school drop outs of Maval Taluka have already been trained in different trades like Welder, Electrician, Wireman, Fitter, Two-wheeler Repair, Armature-winding, Tailoring & Fashion Design, Food Craft and Bakery, Beautician and Computer. Pass out students are mostly employed in the Industries in nearby MIDCs[15].[16]
He empathized with the village women, which consequently developed a big women’s empowerment program. 187 Self Help Groups and 1 Co-operative Bank were developed under the SAMPARC Women’s Program. About 6000 Women were direct beneficiaries of the Program.
He organised Heritage Walks from 2016 to 2019 from the Foot Hills of Bhaje caves to Lohgad Fort to create social awareness on the Heritage sites of Pune District with the idea of enlisting these Historical monuments in the UNESCO List of Heritage Sites[17][18][19]
He was President of Rotary Club Lonavla 1999-2000.
Roles with Government
Amitkumar Banerjee has held the following positions
Chairperson and member of the Child Welfare Committee, Pune Govt. of Maharashtra from 2005 – 2012.
His major work was in coordination with state Govts. of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to stop human trafficking.
He was also a member of the J.J. Act Amendment Committee, 2011-12, Ministry of Child Development, Govt. of India.
He was the regular faculty with NIPCCD, Indore and coordinated various Training Programs on J.J. Act, Child Labour, POSCO, PITA Act.
He was a regular Speaker of various Training Programs with the Police Team of Pune City and State Crime Branch. He organised Annual Programs with about 100 NGOs of Marathwada, Vidharba, Khandesh and Western Maharashtra to promote the applied aspect of social work, standardization in Child Care, Right of the Children and Best Management Practices of the Shelter Home in 2014, 2015, 2016.
Awards & Recognition
XISS, Ranchi conferred Fr MVD Bogaert Award of Excellence for Distinguished Alumni on Shree Amitkumar Banerjee, Founder SAMPARC during the 60th Convocation enclave of XISS on 27th August 2021.
Shree Amit Kumar Banerjee is a First Batch Alumnus of Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi, 1976-78. He founded SAMPARC in 1990, inspired by the teachings of Fr. Michael Van den Bogaert, then Director of XISS. The award for exemplary contribution in Social Work named after Shri Banerjee’s beloved professor, Fr. Michael Van den Bogaert is both emotional as well as the highest award a student ever dreams of.
Books Written by Amitkumar Banerjee
History of Bhaje Caves
Website http://samparc.org
References
- ↑ Peteti, Subbu (2016-04-20). Anti-Aging Secrets on the Highway. Partridge Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4828-7096-1. Search this book on
- ↑ "Help Foundation Balgram SAMPARC". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Samparc India supporting orphans and children of sex workers". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Search & Find XISS, Ranchi Alumni, Students & Faculty". xiss.almaconnect.com. Retrieved 2020-07-30. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Arpan Foundation". www.arpanfoundation.org. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "Ministry of Women and Child Development" (PDF). https://nca-wcd.nic.in/. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help); External link in|website=(help) - ↑ "Beauties at Balgram Poynad!". Miracle Foundation. 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "INSIEME". insieme.org. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "ar2003.pdf" (PDF). Annual Report 2003 Association for India's Development, Inc. PO Box "F" College Park MD 20741-3005 EIN 04-3652609: 28.
- ↑ "Advisory Committee For indiaBUILDS Campaign Wield Hammers at 2006 Jimmy Carter Work Project Site". Habitat For Humanity. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ↑ "Habitat for Humanity And SAMPARC Sign Official Partnership Agreement For 2006 Jimmy Carter Work Project". Habitat For Humanity. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ↑ "Fujitsu Dedicates School at Habitat for Humanity's Jimmy Carter Work Project site, Malavali - Fujitsu India". www.fujitsu.com. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "annual_report_12-13.pdf" (PDF). https://www.nanhikali.org/. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help); External link in|website=(help) - ↑ "Amitkumar banerjee initiated a low cost housing project with the help of habitat for humanity & jimm - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "SAMPARC Kaushalya Vikas Kendra – SAMPARC Kaushalya Vikas Kendra". Retrieved 2020-07-31.
- ↑ "IDFC FIRST Bank SAMPARC (Social Action for Manpower Creation)". www.idfcfirstbank.com. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "Take a trip through history and tribal culture of Maharashtra at this Pune Heritage Walk". Hindustan Times. 2017-11-26. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "UNESCO tag sought for caves, forts near Pune". Deccan Herald. 2018-11-04. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "Pune based organisation to conduct heritage walk covering Karla, Bhaje on Nov 25". Hindustan Times. 2018-11-18. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ Chandani, Priyanka (2018-07-11). "The shelter of an embrace". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ Dahitule, Kiran (2012-10-27). "NGO demands orphans be kept track of lifelong". DNA India. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ↑ "Samparc Balgram". ruchikaclub.org. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
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