Bengaluru, Apr 4: As calamity struck the nation in the form of coronavirus, many philanthropists have generously opened their wallets to sustain the urban poor, especially the migrant labourers in the city and elsewhere in Karnataka.
These individuals either directly or through organisations opened up their kitchens to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry in this distressing time.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the nodal agency to feed urban poor, responded positively to requests by these organisations and individuals to supply food to the needy on their behalf.
"We had been serving food through our Indira canteens, which we continue to do even now. However, many philanthropists and corporates have come forward to feed the needy," the BBMP joint commissioner Sarfaraz Khan told reporters.
According to BBMP, Indira canteens used to provide two lakh meals a day on normal occasions.
However, since the lockdown has been clamped, the number swelled by almost 50 per cent.
"On Thursday alone, we served 2.85 lakh food, which comprises breakfast, lunch and breakfast," a Palike officer said.
The major aid came from Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) and Azim Premji Foundation.
While JITO is feeding around 22,000 people, Azim Premji Foundation is taking care of 20,000 people.
Sajjanraj Mehta, an office bearer of JITO, told reporters that his organisation has been providing packaged cooked food since March 27.
"We got in touch with Bengaluru Mayor M Gautham Kumar, Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao and the BBMP commissioner B H Anil Kumar. According to their list, 27,000 food packets were required daily," Mehta told.
The JITO members have arranged vehicles of their respective businesses to transport food packets to different locations as part of the campaign named as 'COVID-19 manav seva'.
The organisation has also decided to utilise the kitchen of Princess Golf, a marriage hall on Palace Grounds here to prepare food.
Palike officials said on Thursday alone JITO supplied 53,000 meals.
"We asked them to cover migrant labourers in those areas where Indira Canteen could not reach. We mapped the cluster and provided them info. Now, they are distributing it there," they said.
Another organisation engaged in charitable work is ISKCON Bengaluru.
Ever since the lockdown, it has been working in various parts of India providing food to various people.
"We are providing materials such as rice, wheat flour, Daal, oil, vegetables with long shelf life, salt, sugar and spices. Each packet can sustain for at least 21 days," Madhu Pandit Dasa, president of ISKCON Bengaluru.
The organisation has set a target to cover at least two lakh people but so far it has reached out to 30,000 people including 25,000 in Bengaluru alone.
"We are feeding about 50,000 people in Delhi, with the Telangana government we are feeding about 40,000 people in Hyderabad, about 10,000 people in Ahmedabad in association with the Gujarat government," Dasa told.
According to BBMP, other organisations providing food to the needy are KMFY, TVS Group, Vimal Bhandari, Radisson Blue Atria Hotel, Hitech Ecowood, Mohammed Shajid, Prestige Group.
Wipro Ltd also pitched in to feed the poor by opening up its industrial kitchen infrastructure.
In a statement, Global Head- Operations of the company Hariprasad Hegde said the humanitarian crisis we are faced with as part of the Covid-19 crisis has multiple dimensions to it, of which the need to deliver cooked meals to the stranded migrant workers and other vulnerable communities is probably the most critical and immediate one.
Recognising this, Wipro has decided to use the industrial kitchen infrastructure in our facilities to provide cooked meals, he said.
This kicked off on April 2 with the delivery of 43,000 meals from our Bangalore facility in Kodathi to the government.
"We have made use of our own procurement logistics to source the food provisions. This is a collaborative process, with the government taking responsibility for the logistics of last mile delivery to the communities that need it the most,” he said.
In the case of Bangalore, the Karnataka government has come forward to provide this kind of complementary delivery support. We are reaching out to other state governments and local administrations for similar efforts." he said.
Comments
This attack on Karnataka by BJP. Why did not they raid houses of BJP leaders who have become rich after BJP came to power. Reddy brothers are roaming freely and had lavesh wedding of their daughter. IT department are sleeping
Timing is good!!. Each one repeats same in cycle and then they may stop doing corruption. But Indian political population is a strange one and may start bribing each other! Congress also did all kind of tactics! Timing of investigation of corrupt DMK - daughter!
How can congress explain recovery of 10.5 crores cash from the minister's residence?Is it not embarrassing for congress leaders who called the raid witch - hunt?
What does BJP say about corruption of their own leaders. How many raids were given on the corrupt leaders of BJP. There are not hundred but thousand cases of corruption of BJP leaders. Recently in Chhatishgarh, one minister Brijmohan Aggarwal has encroached the government land. A few days ago Chief of Kerala BJP was caught for taking bribe of Rs 6 crores. After demonetization maximum black money was recovered from these BJP leaders. Before demonetization, dubious land deals were executed with their black money as they know fully that demonetization was to be declared by their party.. Black money was recovered from the BJP leader in Punjab as well from Madhya Pradesh leader. Who is funding Amit Shah who is roaming using chartered planes from one place t0 another place. What were the sources of funds during elections either for the Centre or for the states. Admitted Congress is corrupt but BJP is the most corrupt party in India.Wherefrom they got 15 crores to purchase MLAs.
All corrupt politicians are the feathers of the same bird. All are corrupt whether in the ruling party or in the opposition. Some of them are pro industrial and getting unaccountable money to be spent on their rival parties to let down. If any leader is corrupt and facing trial in the court, they either try to purchase the sitting judges or transfer them on the name of promotion. These tactics have been used by Modi Government in Gujarat to have clean chits in Godhara riots.The enquiry commission was appointed to enquire about who were behind the killings of innocent Sikhs, one Mishra was purchased by the Congress party and he was taken in Rajya Sabha.These commission heads are corrupt and working as per directions of the ruling party. How one can get justice. In India justice is denied to poor, downtrodden and minorities. These political parties have cleverly expert to change the facts into lies. They are expert to purchase and threaten others who are disagreed with them
How can there be black money? Demonetisation was supposed to eradicate it.
He's questioning the time, he's not questioning all that money that's been
seized!
"Mr. Shivakumar's mother hit out at Mr. Siddaramaiah accusing him of not
protecting her son."... ideal mother
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