Gurugram: Cooked meals, dry ration for poor at 50 locations

The district administration has identified over 50 locations in the city where dry ration and cooked meals will be provided to the homeless, destitute, stranded

The district administration has identified over 50 locations in the city where dry ration and cooked meals will be provided to the homeless, destitute, stranded and other needy persons. Over the last few days, the administration, along with some NGOs, conducted surveys in various areas and identified about 6,500 people who would need such assistance.

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The district administration on Friday distributed ration to 230 families in slums of Prem Nagar, marble market, sectors 12, 56 and Wazirabad. The administration has formed 20 teams, with five members each, including two Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), an Asha worker, a volunteer and police personnel, for the food distribution. Each packet of dry ration contained five kilograms of wheat flour, one kilogram of dal, one litre of oil, one kilogram of salt, one kilogram of sugar, 100 grams of turmeric, chili powder and cumin.

The locations identified include Manesar, sector 57, Nathupur, Wazirabad, Sikanderpur and areas near bus stand and railway station. “It is important to identify families who are in desperate need of food items. With the help of NGOs and Red Cross, the district administration has identified 6,500 persons in various pockets who will require ration or a cooked meal,” said an official. According to a statement released by the administration, each food packet will cost the administration ₹20 and two packets will be provided to every person every day. The cost will be covered under the State Disaster Relief Fund.

Acting on chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s directive that no one should sleep on an empty stomach, Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner, said, “As per directives issued by the state government, labourers from the unorganised sector such as construction workers, rickshaw-pullers, rag pickers and beggars, who are struggling to get food will get dry ration or cooked meals. We are ensuring provisions of cooked meals through identified eateries on a payment basis.” He said that the supply of other essential items, like water and medicines, will also be ensured.

An emergency control room for Covid-19 queries set up in Mini Secretariat has been receiving calls mostly related to food supply, since the lockdown was announced. “We are getting maximum calls from people who are daily wage workers, who hardly have any money and food ration. A few people stuck in local guest houses and hotels having no supply of food have approached us also,” Hemant (who goes by just one name), in-charge of the 24x7 emergency control room said. The teams at the control room — that work in three shifts — are collecting details of pockets from where these calls are being made and are providing it to senior officials.

The administration has asked for citizens’ contributions as well. People can share details like name, contact number, preferred location of distribution, the quantity of food available and volunteers on covid19gurugram@gmail.com.