Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Friday donated two oxygen concentrators for those in need of the facility in Darjeeling district, following a request from CPM leader Asok Bhattacharya.

The concentrators will be used by red volunteers — a team of CPM youths who are extending a range of help to people — across the district and will be provided to those in need free of cost.

“Earlier this month, I had spoken with the BCCI president and requested him to provide the equipment to aid those in need in Darjeeling district. As he was occupied earlier, he could not respond immediately. It was on last Tuesday, that he (Ganguly) called me from Mumbai and asked me if I could send somebody to Calcutta to collect two O2 concentrators,” said Bhattacharya, the former Siliguri MLA.

“Two of our members went to his residence in Calcutta and collected the medical equipment from him. The team has left from Calcutta and will reach Siliguri on Saturday. Once the concentrators are here, we will start providing those to people free of cost,” the CPM leader added.

“We are overwhelmed by the gesture shown by him. Earlier also, he had helped us on many occasions,” Bhattacharya said.