Tirur: ‘Palada payasam’ challenge was organised by the Karunya cluster based in Tirur to provide financial support for patients who reach the Abhayam Dialysis Centre. On Monday night, a huge amount of tasty palada payasam was prepared in 240 cooking stoves to offer comfort to 54 patients enduring chronic kidney diseases. 

40,000 litres of palada payasam will reach out to 4 lakhs of people within Tuesday 1 pm. By charging Rs 250 for a litre, Karunya plans to fetch Rs 80 lakhs from the challenge. The payasam will be sold at municipalities of Tirur and Tanur along with 14 grama panchayats nearby. 

40,000 litres of milk, 7000 kg sugar, 3000 kg ada, 200 kg butter and 6000 litres water were the ingredients of payasam. 30 tonnes of firewood was also used to prepare it. 4000 kg of sugar was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce at Tirur. Many other clubs, voluntary organisations and people rendered helping hands. 

The Confederation of All Kerala Caterers Association, Malappuram brought cooks from Palakkad and the Light and Sound Welfare Association gave 240 vessels, other dishes and containers to prepare the delicious payasam.

The coordinators assigned by the local bodies will distribute the payasam here on Tuesday. Over 200 cooks and 600 volunteers of Snehatheeram had worked behind the challenge. 

Abhayam Dialysis Centre started to function from 2013. It costs over Rs 6 lakhs per month for the institution to provide free dialysis for the patients. The payasam challenge has been organised to help out the centre facing the threat of closure due to the financial crunch experienced by Covid induced lockdown. 

The payasam challenge committee formed to ensure the coordination of the mission consisted of Puthuthottil Koya, VP Kunjalan Kutti, Kanikkara Ashik, Mundekkad Kunjippa and Nasser Kuttoor.