News Analysis India

Tag: ration-distribution

  • Jharkhand: ‘Daal Chawal’ feeding the poor and needy during lockdown

    By Express News Service
    RANCHI: ‘Daal-Chawal,’ a team of professionals working outside the State and currently sitting idle at home in Ranchi, is distributing free dry-ration packets to the poor and needy who have lost their jobs or livelihood due to the lockdown.

    Initially, the team of ‘Daal Chawal’ started it on their own with a Facebook post, “If you know someone around you who is in need, please let us know, we would try to help them,” which attracted tremendous response from the people and they started receiving funds from the people whom they did not even know.

    The quartet –Trishi Pandey, Ria Pandey, Prashanto Banerjee and Priya Banerjee purchase dry ration from the market, convert them into small packets having rice, dal, biscuits or bread  and distribute them among the needy people. The objective, according to them, is to provide basic requirements of life which is rice and dal along with biscuit and bread for children.

    “The drive was started as people this time were more concerned about those who are infected from the virus, but no one was thinking about those who have lost their source of income due to the lockdown and are on the verge of starvation,” said Trishi Pandey, a lawyer by profession.

    Though the government is also distributing ration among the poor which is done arbitrarily, they are doing it where government assistance has failed to reach after identifying such people, she added.

    Trishi further added that they are trying to deliver free of cost basic grocery items to the people who are struggling for food in this situation.

    “We make it a point to ask people before giving them the packets that whether they want it or not. Dry ration packets are given only after they say that they actually need, while many people refuse to take it,” said another member of Daal-Chawal, Prashanto Banerjee, who is an animation artist.

    They are also getting leads from the people who tell them about the people who actually need help, he added.

    “While discussing about the present scenario a fortnight ago, we thought why not do something as we were sitting idle at home. Then all of a sudden it was decided to distribute dry ration to the poor and needy who have no source of income or livelihood,” said Prashanto.

    A Facebook page was made in the name of Daal-Chawal to make it convenient to reach out to the people who actually need help, he added.

    Priya Banerjee, a teacher, said that it all started casually just to extend a helping hand towards the poor and needy, they had never though that they will get such a huge response from the people.

    “The response from the people is really encouraging for us. We had never thought that we will get such a huge response from the people as we are getting funds from those whom we don’t even know,” said Priya Banerjee. It has been decided to continue till the lockdown is not lifted, she said.

    Notably, Trishi and Ria are sisters while Priya and Prashanto are siblings. All of them belong to different professions and had come to their homes due to the lockdown.

  • Vegetable prices drop by almost 50 percent after Chief Minister Mr. Baghel’s instructions

    Chief Minister has given instructions to strictly prohibit blackmarketing and to ensure systematic supply of vegetables, fruits and essential commodities

    Soon after Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel gave instructions to prohibit black-marketing and to ensure proper supply of essential commodities, the prices of vegetables including bhindi, brinjal, cauliflower and tomatoes dropped by 50% i.e. from Rs 40/kg to Rs 20/kg.
    It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, in his message to public, assured that proper arrangements have been made for adequate supply of essential commodities in the state during 21-day lockdown for corona virus prevention. In addition, Collectors have been directed to put an end to black marketing. Mr. Baghel has directed all the district administrations to ensure that there is no shortage of any essential commodity during lockdown. This is greatly benefitting the common people. 
    Chief Minister further said that he has received information about some businessmen and traders in certain areas taking undue advantage of the lockdown by increasing prices of essential commodities and doing black-marketing. This is extremely condemnable. Traders are requested to stop taking undue advantage and start supplying daily use goods to people with compassion. He has directed Collectors to strictly put an end to black-marketing and to provide daily use goods to common people at right prices. Collectors have been directed to ensure unhindered and systematic transportation of essential commodities, vegetables, fruits etc. People going out for purchasing vegetables, fruits and groceries should not be stopped.