BENGALURU: Naavu Bharateeyaru, a social welfare coalition working with various slum communities, workers’ unions, transgender communities and minority community members in Bengaluru, has stated that the government has done very little for people who are affected immensely during the lockdown.
Members of the group pointed out that though more than 10 days of the nationwide lockdown are up, the state machinery has completely failed in ensuring food security for those who have been hardest hit. Lakhs of migrant workers, the self-employed sector like street vendors, auto drivers, etc. have been pushed towards hunger and malnutrition by the “completely opaque and inhuman manner” in which decisions have been made before and after the announcement of the lockdown.
Vinay K Sreenivasa, member of Naavu Bharateeyaru, said that the government had made a heartless decision to close down free food at Indira Canteens. “A study of 34 Indira Canteens by Naavu Bharateeyaru conducted last week showed that in 33, all stock was distributed and many people had to return hungry because food got over. The government itself announced that 96,000 people were served in a single day last week through the canteens.
Now, the canteens will charge Rs 10 a meal. If a family of three eats two meals a day, it’s Rs 60. In a situation where lakhs of daily wage workers are not earning at all, this is heartless. The government’s argument is that quality is suffering. How does quality depend on whether people pay or the government pays? In a time of crisis, why cannot the government ease the burden on people?” They also said that the labour department’s Dasoha Helpline (155214) is still not fully functional, with no way of tracking requests for food or rations. Public Distribution System (PDS) card holders were given only rice and wheat, and no dal for the month of April. This apart, police are not giving enough passes to relief workers.