Mysuru: The Mysuru City and District Congress Committees have decided to establish a Mysuru Congress Emergency Fund to support party office-bearers and workers facing financial hardships, particularly during medical emergencies and old age.The decision was taken at a condolence meeting held in memory of Suraj Hegde, former All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and vice-chairman of the Karnataka govt’s Guarantee Implementation Committee, who passed away in Bengaluru earlier this week.At the meeting, party leaders and office-bearers announced contributions of around Rs 3.25 lakh as an initial corpus for the fund.Mysuru City Congress president R Murthy recalled Hegde’s long association with the party, noting he served the AICC for nearly two decades. Despite suffering from heart-related ailments for the past two years and a decline in health in recent months, Hegde remained actively involved in party work.Murthy said Hegde had quietly contributed Rs 1.8 lakh towards constructing the new Congress Bhavan, aiming to fulfil the vision of his grandfather, former chief minister D. Devaraj Urs.District Congress president BJ Vijay Kumar described Hegde as a loyal functionary and stressed the need for institutional support for workers, many of whom face financial distress and struggle to afford medical treatment in old age.
