KATHMANDU, JUNE 12

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari commended Lions Club's significant role in health, education and natural disaster response.

At a programme organised by the Lions Club of International at the Office of the President in Shital Niwas today, President Bhandari lauded the contribution of Lions Club in operating schools, hospitals and orphanages. 'I am happy to learn that Lions Club's projects are being run with low administrative costs,' she said.

Bhandari viewed that social organisations had played a huge role in job creation and making the country self-reliant in the context of attention being paid by the state to commercialise and modernise the agriculture sector.

The head of state opined that social organisations should also join the state's efforts in reducing the risks of natural disasters, stating that natural disasters had been causing huge loss of lives and property during the monsoon season.

On the occasion, Lions Club had feted President Bhandari. A documentary of the Club's activities was also shown at the programme. Founder of Lions Club Mulchand Rathi and Kisanlal Dugad were feted at the event.

Similarly, President Bhandari honoured Indu Devi Naulakha, who had contributed to the freedom movement in the country by donating 100 tola gold. Social workers Nanda Kishor Rathi, Mukundaraj Pandey and Shesh Narayan Shrestha were also feted by the president.

President of Lions Club Rewat Bahadur Karki pledged to continue the Club's cooperation in education, health and disaster management in the coming days.

Lions Club was established in 1971 in the name of Lions Club of Biratnagar initially. It was led by former prime minister Matrika Prasad Koirala.

Currently, there are over 2,000 branches of Lions Club across the country engaged in social causes.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 13, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.