Punit Balan Group (PBG) Distributes 9,000 Essential Kits to Police Personnel Deployed for Ashadhi Wari
Pune: The Punit Balan Group has distributed 9,000 essential-item kits to police officers and personnel deployed for security duty during the Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage in Pandharpur and along the palkhi routes.
The kits contain daily-use items intended to support police personnel during the extended security deployment. The initiative is expected to reduce inconvenience for officers and help them focus on ensuring the safety of lakhs of devotees participating in the annual pilgrimage.
Every year, lakhs of Warkaris travel to Pandharpur with the palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, Sant Tukaram Maharaj and other revered saints to seek the blessings of Lord Vitthal on Ashadhi Ekadashi.
Between July 15 and 19, Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj’s palkhi will travel through Satara district, passing through areas including Lonand, Taradgaon, Phaltan and Barad. Around 2,700 male police personnel and 300 female police personnel are expected to be deployed along this route.
The Satara Superintendent of Police’s office had requested 3,000 essential kits for the personnel assigned to the palkhi security arrangements.
A large number of palkhis and dindis from across Maharashtra are also expected to arrive in Pandharpur for the Ashadhi Wari on July 25. Thousands of individual devotees will also visit the temple town to participate in the celebrations and seek Vitthal’s darshan.
For security arrangements in Pandharpur, approximately 6,500 male police personnel and 2,000 female police personnel are being deployed. The Pandharpur Sub-Divisional Police Office had written to entrepreneur Punit Balan requesting similar essential kits for the deployed personnel.
Responding to the request, Balan arranged for the immediate distribution of the kits. A total of 7,000 kits were provided to the Solapur Rural Police, while 2,000 kits were given to the Satara Rural Police.
Each kit includes a toothpaste pouch, toothbrush, hair oil bottle, mosquito repellent, glucose, bathing soap, peanut chikki, cloth mask and drinking-water bottle. Sanitary pads have also been included for female police personnel.
Speaking about the initiative, Punit Balan said that police personnel perform a vital service by protecting Warkaris despite difficult weather conditions and long working hours.
“This year, rain has been present since the first day of the palkhi procession. Even in such conditions, police personnel continue to perform the important duty of ensuring the safety of devotees travelling for Lord Vitthal’s darshan. Their work is a form of service. These daily-use kits were provided in response to the police department’s request so that personnel do not face inconvenience while performing their duties. We were fortunate to support them through a similar initiative last year, and I am sincerely pleased to have received the opportunity again this year,” Balan said.
