RANCHI: Jharkhand government has decided to set up community kitchens at a distance of every 20 km on the highways so that the migrant workers who are on the long journey back home don’t remain hungry.
Food and Civil Supplies Secretary Arun Kumar Singh said that the district administrations in all 24 districts have been asked to take steps in this regard.
The decision was taken after the direction of Chief Minister Hemant Soren to provide food, water, and medicines to the poor migrant workers returning their homes.
“As of now, 94 spots have been identified on the National and State Highways all over Jharkhand for setting up community kitchens where free food will be provided to the migrants returning to their homes on their foot and on their own or hired vehicles,” said Singh.
“All these community kitchens will be operated by district administrations,” said the Secretary. From these community kitchens, the migrant workers will be taken to nearby camps from where the respective district administration will provide transportation facility for them, he added.
Singh said West Singhbhum district has already started community kitchens and transport facilities for the migrants. “Three highway community kitchens have been started in West Singhbhum, where people are being provided free food and sent to the transit camp set up for them.
From there, buses are being arranged for sending them to their respective districts of States for those walking on their foot to reach home,” said the Deputy Commissioner Arwa Rajkamal. Self Help Groups (Sakhi Mandal) of Jharkhand State Rural Promotion Society have been roped in to run those kitchens, he added.
In addition, as many as 6700 Mukhyamantri Didi Kitchens are currently operational at Panchayat levels all over the State and have fed more than 2.08 crore meals so far to the poor and needy. These Mukhyamantri Didi Kitchens, being operated by Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), are feeding to over 6.7 lakh people every day.