Ganesh BM, an electrical contractor and philanthropist, is helping the poor lead more comfortable lives by building houses and providing free electricity connections.

Ganesh BM inaugurates Shankru and Vasanthi’s new house

Madikeri :

When we exit this world, we don’t take with us the assets we earned in this lifetime. So instead of concentrating on gaining more and more assets, keep what is required to lead a decent life and donate the rest to the needy,” is the mantra Ganesh BM lives by. A resident of Arji panchayat in Kodagu, Ganesh is an electrical contractor and a philanthropist who has donated houses to the poor.

Recently, Ganesh celebrated his 50th birthday and instead of a lavish celebration, he cut a cake with a poor family to whom he gifted a two-bedroom house. “Hard work and determination helped me earn a decent living. I was born in a poor family and lived in a straw hut for the longest time. However, I am now in a well-to-do position and have the urge to help the needy,” he shared.

Lighting up homes

In 2000, Ganesh won the Betoli Gram Panchayat (now known as Arji panchayat) election by five votes. “During this time, I travelled across the panchayat limits and learnt about the living conditions of the people. I was re-elected to the panchayat in 2005 and served as vice-president. I then became a Taluk Panchayat member,” recalled Ganesh.

It was then that he came across a girl from a financially weak background who had scored 95 per cent in the SSLC examination. Her story went viral as she studied under an oil lamp, as the hut she lived in did not have electricity connection. “Her story inspired me and I enabled free electricity connection to her house,” he recalled.

Meanwhile, in 2023, during a routine panchayat survey, Ganesh was introduced to a tribe called Kala. “No one in the panchayat limits lived in such a pitiable condition as Kala and his family. I wanted to make a difference in his life and promised to build him a house,” he shared.

He constructed a four-bedroom house for Kala and the keys were handed over to the family on January 22, 2024, to coincide with the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. “I wanted to the day to have a special memory, so I handed over the keys on the day the Ram Mandir was inaugurated,” he added.

After

In April 2024, Ganesh was alerted about a family which had lost their house. “I am the taluk president for the Billava Community Association, and I was told that the house of a poor woman from the community had collapsed. I decided to build her a house,” he shared. He built a four-bedroom house for Kamala and her family, who had lost their shelter. He spent up to Rs 2.5 lakh each on the two houses.

After these donations, Ganesh was approached by many from financially weak families who sought his help. A total of five families from the panchayat limits reached out to him, seeking help for electricity connections to their houses. “I helped them get electricity connection free of cost,” he explained.

A birthday gift

To mark his 50th birthday celebration, Ganesh built a two-bedroom house for Shankru and Vasanthi’s family. “I was visiting the Theremekadu paisari area for some work when I met Shankru and his family. They were living in a straw hut that was nearing collapse. I assured them I would build them a house,” he said.

While the couple was living on paisari land, they received the rights for the land a few years ago. Spending Rs 1.60 lakh, Ganesh built a house on the land and handed over the keys to the house on his birthday. “A rich person looks forward to earning more assets, but we all have to leave this world behind one day. When you are alive, keep what is necessary and help those in need,” concluded Ganesh.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Bengaluru / by Pragna GR / January 12th, 2025