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Covid-19: Sonbhadra district runs 683 community kitchens that cater to 24,000 families daily
Varanasi: Besides keeping track of quarantined cases and medical help required by residents, the control room at the Sonbhadra district headquarters has also been
Varanasi: Besides keeping track of quarantined cases and medical help required by residents, the control room at the Sonbhadra district headquarters has also been monitoring an additional input. Since March 30, the administration authorities of the state’s second largest district have been running 683 community kitchens. Home to 18 lakh people, over 43% of population belongs to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe groups who depend on forest produce and daily wage work. Due to the lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, labourers have lost work and factories are closed.
The community kitchens cater to around 45,000 people — 24,000 families — daily, chief development officer Ajay Dwivedi said. Around 40% of the kitchens are in remote villages in rough terrains like Dudhi, Ghorawal, and Myorupur. At least 250 villages are located in extremely tough terrains.
Each kitchen also has an Anaj bank, to which residents and local businesses have contributed foodgrains, flour, lentils, rice and oil for making ration kits for the underprivileged. Till now, Dwivedi said around 176 quintal of flour, 203 quintal of rice, 36 quintals of lentils, 74 quintals of salt, 224 kg of spices, 2,759 liter of mustard oil and 89 quintal of vegetable. Much was distributed in 3,000 ration kits. Some is also used in the community kitchens.
The administration has also provided a fund of Rs 10,000 each to gram panchayat to ensure that the community kitchen is well stocked. Opened in the compounds of primary schools, those employed in making mid-day meals are now cooking food for the larger community in the villages. Locals also help in packaging the food to deliver to all homes.
Pyare Lal, a resident of Pharipaan area of Myorpur, however, did not receive food packets till a few days ago (others in his village did not face any problem). His neighbour, Jagat Vishwakarma took the matter up with assistant development officer (block) Shailendra Singh. Lal, who lives alone, now gets the food packet twice every day.
Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Karahiya village in the rough terrain of Duddhi area said that till last week, he would receive only two or three poori and a small quantity of vegetable in the food packet that was delivered to him daily. Together with some other locals, he raised the issue of insufficient food to senior authorities and the District Magistrate e S Rajalingam instructed the panchayat secretary to visit the village and ensure that the needy receive a full meal from the community kitchen. “Since Monday, our food packets comprise six puris and sabji in the morning and six rotis with vegetable or dal chawal in the evening,” he said.
Dwivedi said that strict monitoring was being done through video calling the village panchayat secretary and village head, who have been given the responsibility to look after the community kitchens, from preparing the food to delivering it, to find out whether the community kitchens are running properly and food packets with enough food are being delivered. As soon as a complaint is received, it is addressed immediately, he said.
