E-Paper
Police provide food to labour camp at Guru Nanaknagar in Pune
Police commissioner K Venkatesham take up the cause after HT reported about the plight of the labourers in the edition dated April 16.
PUNE Police commissioner K Venkatesham promised to fulfil the supply and demand gap of essential commodities at the labour colony in Ambegaon, Guru Nanaknagar in Katraj which he visited on Saturday.
HT had reported about the plight of the labourers in the edition dated April 16.
The often neglected colony of Vadar community, which is a 600-700 metre long steep uphill trek away from the beginning of Guru Nanaknagar, also received relief after the police commissioner took note of their struggle to get basic necessity like water.
“A day after you (HT reporter) came here, the big (senior) police officers showed up with relief and there was food in our house that will last for good 8-10 days,” said Ranjana Jadhav, 30, a mother of two who lives in the Vadar colony.
With a 12-day old baby, Annuradha Jadhav, barely 20-years-old herself, was able to have a complete meal after days due to the relief provided by the police. She was left alone in a hut with her two daughters as her parents and extended family left for another house down the hill.
“I live here with my daughters. I finally got some milk and she is sleeping,” said Jadhav.
Saleem Shaikh, a volunteer from the region, has been providing meals in the area. However, the food provided by him was not nearly enough, according to the labourers living in Guru Nanaknagar.
As a result of the severe shortage of food during the lockdown and the lack of information regarding the extension of the lockdown, the workers had tried to walk from Pune to their native places in Madhya Pradesh.
They were intercepted by Kondhwa police station officials at Khadi Machine chowk and sent back to their houses on the hill in Guru Nanaknagar.
The police joined forces with Shaikh and deployed the newly formed social policing cell for the task.
Police sub-inspector Mahendra Patil of Bharti Vidyapeeth police station ensured that the shortage of food is met with.
“On April 18, police commissioner paid a surprise visit to the labour colony and praised the work that we had put in. This form of encouragement is much more valuable than any award,” said PSI Patil.
Five kg wheat or flour (whichever was available), 5kg rice, oil, sugar, tea powder, sugar, salt, and milk were among the relief package provided by the police. The supplies are sourced from multiple NGOs and volunteer donors.
