|
OM
1. I, Priyamvada Devi Birla, aged about seventy
one years residing at Birla Park, 18, Gurusaday Road, Calcutta
19, hereby make this last Will and Testament on this auspicious
day on Akshaytritya, i.e., the 18th of April 1999. Any Will
made prior to this date stands cancelled.
2. I make this Will and Testament in full possession
of my sincere and good health with a full and complete understanding
of the dispositions, directions and statements made herein.
3. God Almighty has showered his grace on me and
my late beloved husband Syt. Madhav Prasad Birla and made
us instruments for working on his Will, for serving the nation
in the industrial and economic arena and for providing
education, health and employment opportunities for the needy.
Conscious of this after the demise of my beloved husband Syt.
Madhav Prasad Birla, I am running the business concerns
and managing the properties and institutions bequeathed to
me in the true and sincere spirit of a trustee for the larger
benefit of the country and in the interest of the shareholders
and workers.
4. I have no heir either natural or adopted. Therefore,
to continue the administration of all the businesses, properties,
rights, and interests after my death, I, by this Will and
Testament nominate Shri Rajendra S. Lodha (son of the late
Jaswant Singhji Lodha and presently residing at 8, National
Tower, 13, London Street, Calcutta 17) a devoted friend of
the family and a Chartered Accountant of repute to take over
the management, administration, financial, legal and every
other aspect relevant to complete ownership, control and full
management of all businesses and properties possesed or owned
by me either directly or indirectly and the entire right title
and the interest of all of which, I hereby bequeath to
him with the following directions.
(i) He will exercise all powers, rights and duties
and responsibilities in respect of the business concerns,
properties and institutions to the extent I have been exercising
(ii) He will take such steps as are necessary for
overseeing of and the control and management of all industries
and investment companies owned and managed by me when I was
alive. It is my desire that the MP Birla Group of Companies
consolidate, expand and grow in the years ahead with excellence
in management through professional expertise, monitoring and
systems with appropriate autonomy and accountability and without
interference or involvement of my relatives or other family
members. I am confident that the management of our companies
shall accordingly rise to the occasion and run their concerns
with interest efficiently (under) overall control and guidance
of Shri Rajendra Lodha.
(iii) All institutions dealing with charitable
and philanthropic activities shall have as their mission to
strive to their utmost for the concern and care of the needy
and the underprivileged and for serving humanity and the management
of these institutions shall continue to act as Trustees as
if they shall give themselves with the simplicity, humility,
discipline, active involvement and dedication inspiringly
displyed by the Group's founder Syt. MP Birla. I hope and
wish that Smt. Nandini Nopany continues to be actively involved
in these activities subject to the overall guidance of Shri
Rajendra Lodha who if and when circumstances necessitate will
give such advice and instructions as are needed.
(iv) He will give financial and administrative support
to the charitable institutions maintained by me when I was
alive.
(v) He will also endeavour to afford and expand the
reliefs for the needy and poor regardless of religion, community,
caste or creed in the fields of education, health and other
objectives of general public utility, construct schools, colleges
and technical institutions in important centres, establish
and maintain libraries useful for scholars that should inter
alia contain books on our ancient wisdom in vedas, vedantas,
upanishads, shastras and works of great saints and sages,
and provide adequate research facilities in all branches of
knowledge useful to society.
(vi) He will have power to seek guidance, advice
and such assistance as he may consider necessary from any
eminent person or group of persons in specialised fields and
acknowledged expertise.
5. (i) Shri Rajendra S. Lodha has expressed his desire
to ultimately devote more time to philanthropy and for public
causes in the years and specifically once he reaches the age
of 65. It is my keen desire and wish that notwithstanding
what has been stated hereinabove as and when this happens
his son Harsh Vardhan whom I have been personally grooming
since sometime forthwith takes the place of his father
in full measures set out in para 4. hereinabove as and when
and in such manner as Shri Rajendra S. Lodha so decides and
with the hope and wish that in such event he continues his
active involvement with our charitable and philanthropic institutions.
(ii) I hereby appoint Shri Rajendra S. Lodha as the
Executor of this Will.
In witness whereof I have signed this Will at Calcutta on
this 18th day of April 1999.
Smt Priyamvada Devi Birla
In the presence of us all three being present at the same
time and at her request subscribed our name hereunder as witnesses.
1. Dr Madan S. Vaidya Sd/-
4, Lord Sinha Road
Calcutta-16
2. P.L Agarwal
Khaitan & Co. Solicitors
9 Old Post Office Street
Calcutta-1
3. Mahabir Prasad Sharma
64, Syed Amir Ali Avenue
Calcutta-19
(To preserve the authenticity of the above
document, it has not been edited. Only very obvious spelling
mistakes have been corrected.)
|
