The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society has contributed Rs 51 lakh to the West Bengal State Emergency Relief Fund to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

Teachers, officials and other members of the staff, along with students of the three institutions run by the society, have offered to donate individually, Miraj Shah of the society said. A second round of contribution to be generated from donations will be sent to the fund.

“The society has donated Rs 51 lakh. Teachers, students and members of the staff have contributed whatever they felt like,” Shah told Metro.

The Rs 51-lakh cheque has been handed over to the local councillor, Shah said.

The three institutions run by the society are The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society School (ICSE/ISC), The Bhawanipore Education Society College and The Bhawanipur Design Academy.

Some other institutions like Calcutta Girls’ High School and Calcutta University have come forward to contribute to various relief funds to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee, vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, said the university had donated Rs 10 lakh to the government fund to help in the fight against the virus.

She said she had appealed to teachers and members of the non-teaching staff to donate whatever they felt like.

“Responses received so far have been encouraging.”

Calcutta Girls' High School contributed Rs 5 lakh to the chief minister’s relief fund on Tuesday.

Principal Basanti Biswas had requested staff members on WhatsApp.

“Pictures of migrant workers trying to get back home, walking for miles are very disturbing. We are responsible citizens staying at home and maintaining social distance…. Thousands, stranded at bus stops and train stations, without food and shelter, makes me feel guilty and uncomfortable,” Biswas wrote on WhatsApp.

The nation is facing a calamity unheard of and unseen in recent times.

“We can all do our bit by standing with our nation at this moment of national disaster,” she wrote.