BENGALURU: The Indian Railways plans to set up public fridges for the poor at Bengaluru and Mysuru railway stations in September. Earlier, they had set up one at Hubballi railway station on August 15 this year. In order to avoid wastage of food, passengers and eateries at these stations have been requested to leave behind extra food inside this refrigerator instead of throwing it away. The response to the said fridge in Hubballi was overwhelming and received national attention.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, General Manager of South Western Railways, A K Singh said, “It is a very good initiative to help the poor who can anonymously take food in a dignified manner. Many hungry people at Hubballi railway station have benefited from it. I have now directed the Divisional Railway Managers at Bengaluru and Mysuru to do something similar at their railway stations.”
Due to the overwhelming response, branches of the Lions Club recently installed an almirah next to it, Singh said. Public have been encouraged to leave clothes they do not require in it.
Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Ashok Singh Verma said that the division was planning to install such fridges inside two or three railway stations with the maximum footfall. Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna, Yeswanthpur and Bengaluru Cantonment railway stations were being considered for the initiative. “We are yet to finalise the exact locations,” he said.
Verma said that the division was scouting for sponsors to help purchase the fridge. “It would cost around Rs 80,000 and we are requesting companies to assist us. As soon as we get a sponsor, installing the fridge would only take us two days,” he said.
Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Aparna Garg said that Mysuru railway station would definitely have a public fridge in September. “There are many homeless people who sleep in the station at night. Such a move would definitely make their lives better,” she said.
a word of caution
The public refrigerator presently set up in Hubballi railway station is six-feet-tall with four racks, two of which are for placing cooked meals and two for vegetables and fruits. A message has been put up on it cautioning people to not place non-vegetarian food items and eatables which were likely to become stale inside it.