Mangaluru: The Asha Prakash Shetty Sahaya Hasta Scheme’s annual outreach programme, titled ‘Neravu’, will be held on December 25 at 2 pm at Gold Finch City, Mangaluru, during which financial assistance exceeding ₹9.5 crore will be distributed to beneficiaries, MRG Group Chairman K. Prakash Shetty announced.

Addressing the media, Shetty said the programme has been organised every year on December 25 and has seen a steady increase in the number of families and institutions supported. Feedback received over the years indicated that the initiative has brought about meaningful change in the lives of beneficiaries, he said.

While modern medical treatment has advanced considerably, access to such facilities remains limited for many sections of society, Shetty noted. A substantial portion of the assistance is earmarked for medical support, particularly for those requiring long-term and advanced treatment. “This is our humble contribution towards democratising access to healthcare,” he said.

Beneficiaries are selected without discrimination based on caste, religion or community, with need being the sole criterion. Assistance will be extended to persons with disabilities, dialysis patients, students requiring educational support, children of single parents, achievers in culture, education and sports, and families awaiting house completion. Applications seeking assistance for house construction have also been considered.

The scheme, which began with a disbursement of ₹1.25 crore to 28 organisations in its first year, has now entered its seventh year and will support over 100 organisations and nearly 4,000 families. Beneficiaries have been selected from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kasaragod, Shivamogga, Sagar, Tirthahalli, Koppa and Sakleshpur, through an independent selection committee.

Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly U.T. Khader, film producer Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, Alva’s Education Foundation chairman Dr. Mohan Alva, Kapu MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty and Gaurav P. Shetty of MRG Group will attend the programme.