By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

Infopark in Kochi, Kerala’s second software industry hub, yesterday celebrated the advent of Onam, the festival of prosperity and abundance, with a difference.
The techies collected and distributed nearly 3.5 tonnes of rice among the orphanages, old-age homes, tribal families and others under the initiative OnamNanma or virtue of Onam.
The Infopark authorities collected the rice from employees working with the companies on the Infopark’s main campus in Kochi and its spokes in Thrissur and Cherthala in Alappuzha district.
From the Kochi campus, around 2.5 tonnes of rice was collected with 2tons being donated among 195 tribal families at Mamalakandam and Kuttampuzha tribal habitats.
Local legislator Benny Behanan flagged off the vehicle carrying the rice for the tribal families in the presence of Infopark chief Hrishikesh Nair.
They distributed the remaining among orphanages, rehabilitation centres and poor homes in and around the area.
Around 500kg rice collected from the Infopark Cherthala campus has been circulated to old-age homes and orphanages nearby.
Local legislator AM Arif inaugurated the Onam Nanma programme on the Cherthala campus.
Infopark Thrissur (Koratty) collected around 650kg of rice and distributed among orphanages, mercy home and some poor families in the area. Chalakkudy legislator BD Devassy launched the programme here.
Nair thanked the firms and employees “for taking up the Rice bucket challenge and giving wholehearted support for this noble initiative”.
Last year also, the state-run IT park donated over 3tons of rice to around 200 Muthuva tribal families of Urulanthanni on the occasion of Onam.