KOCHI: The food kits distributed by the Labour department for migrant workers were found dumped near a hospital in Perumbavoor, prompting the municipality to launch a detailed inquiry. A video made by a few citizens, who spotted the discarded bags condemning the ungrateful act at a time when people are starving, started doing rounds on social media last week.
Perumbavoor municipality chairman Zakir Hussain complained that the incident is also being used to tarnish the image of the local body. “The hospital premises were cleared of waste recently, and we found no food kits there. We studied samples of food items from the kits and confirmed that they were distributed three months ago,” said Zakir.
John Jacob, ward councillor of the area, also confirmed that seven kits distributed three months ago were found near the hospital. “There is some mystery behind how they popped out of nowhere,” he said.
The Labour officer in charge of the migrant labourers in the district said some of the workers who returned to their states might have dumped the kits since they could not store them or carry them home.
Customised community kitchens
During the first wave of Covid, when community kitchens were set up, guest workers were not particularly happy with having to live on Kerala cusinie. Instead, they requested cereals and vegetables so that they could cook on their own. According to the labour officer, this year too, items according to their preferences were distributed among migrant workers. The kit included special rice and sunflower oil (instead of coconut oil). None of them asked for money in lieu of the kits, he added.
SELLING KITS TO HOTELS
Hotel owners in Perumbavoor confirmed on condition of anonymity that many of the labourers sell items from the government-distributed kits to them. Most of the workers claim they have no space to keep all the kits in their congested dormitories.