ROURKELA: The decision of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) to abruptly stop distribution of free cooked food after easing of COVID-19 restrictions has left hundreds of destitute persons across the city starving.
The homeless, who don't have ration cards or jobs, have been virtually left to fend for themselves in absence of work. Sunita Xess, a young woman with two kids, has been left in the lurch after RMC stopped providing food. A resident of Adivasi Basti of Gopabandhupali, Sunita and her kids are unable to arrange even one square meal a day.
"I have been rendered jobless as the shop where I used to work is located in Rourkela containment zone and closed since the first COVID-19 positive case was reported from the locality. Besides, I don’t have a ration card. In these circumstances, my family is forced to live in hunger," said Sunita.
Similar is the condition of Shanti Kerketta, a poor elderly tribal woman of Lohrabasti, who sustains herself by seeking alms. But, before their suffering could aggravate further, a group of volunteers have come to their rescue. They get food raw materials as donation and after cooking and packaging daily distribute about 550-600 food packets at door steps of needy people.
Prakash Paswan along with a group of volunteers have supplied nearly 600 food packets to slum dwellers at Gopabandhupali, Timber Colony, Indiranagar, Lohrabasti and Malgodam.
Since March-end, RMC has reportedly distributed 17,000-18,000 food packets daily including nearly 2,000 packets which were received as donations. Sources in the RMC said with easing of lockdown restrictions, many homeless persons have joined work. Besides, RMC is also facing shortage of manpower and volunteers which had led to discontinuation of the free food distribution initiative.
RMC Commissioner Dibyajyoti Parida was not available for comment. However, sources claimed that based on feedback of Ward Officers, RMC may resume food distribution soon.