Brief History

The Rotary Club of Purulia was admitted to the membership of the Rotary International on 8th of June 1968. The Charter Presentation ceremony was held on 8th July 1968 in Rabindra Bhawan, Purulia. The then Governor of RI District 325, Justice Rtn. P. C. Das Gupta an eminent lawyer and a renowned social worker of the District of Purulia. Purulia Rotary Club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kharagpur. On the occasion of the Charter Presentation ceremony messages were received from the then Vice President of India, Prime Minister of India and Governor of West Bengal and also past Governors of Rotary District 325. The Club was established with 22 Rotarians.

Purulia Rotary Club like all other Rotary Clubs of the world is a service-oriented Club and it was established in a poor District like Purulia mainly with the idea of rendering service to the community of this area. The area in which Purulia Rotary Club is situated and/or located is inhabited by people belonging mainly to the poor, backward, unsophisticated and down trodden people. The community at large required service and Purulia Rotary Club since its inception is serving the community in various ways. On an analysis of the activities of the Club since its inception it will be found that out of the four avenues of services, community service got top priority from the members of the Club. The Rotary Service Centre is a permanent project of Purulia Rotary Club in community service.

Though the Rotary Service Centre is a major and permanent project in community service the Club also renders various other services to the community such as supply of free oxygen cylinder throughout day and night giving double and triple antigen injection to the children, supply of drinking water to the passers-by in summer season and organizing a mobile eye clinic in different places within the District, adoption of a village (Simulia) for rendering service to the people of the said village and for upliftment of the village also, distribution of fruits and sweets to the patients of the different hospitals and homes of this town on the occasions of Independence Day and Republic Day.

Though community service was / is given importance by the Club, the other services are also not neglected. The service rendered by Purulia Rotary Club on International service is also worthy of mention. Contribution of Purulia Rotary Club towards Rotary Foundation is remarkable. Purulia Rotary Club also took part in the Group Study Exchange Programme and Sri Subhas Chandra Sarkar an engineer of this town represented Purulia Rotary Club as a Group Study Exchange Programme member and visited OHIO (U.S.A.). The relation of Purulia Rotary Club within the neighbouring clubs of District 326 is extremely cordial. In the year 1983 in the month of June, Purulia Rotary Club and Rotary Club of Bokaro Steel City (within District 326) jointly hosted the Inter-district – Intercity meeting at Purulia. Five District Governors both past and reigning Governors of both the Districts attended the said meeting. As many as eighty Rotarians attended the meeting. The Club also renders excellent service in the two other avenues of service namely vocational and club service.

Purulia Rotary Club got its recognition in the District by winning various prizes on different avenues of services in the District Conference.

The people of the District of Purulia has a great faith upon the Rotary Club of Purulia and they expect that Purulia Rotary Club will go on extending services to the community and there is no doubt that Purulia Rotary Club will rise equal to the occasion and prove its worth.