Various units of the Indian Railways have begun providing food and medical supplies aid to the needy all over the country.
Here is a look at recent activity of various zones.
South Eastern Railway
Apart from ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential commodities by running of Freight Trains and Time Tabled Parcel Trains during this crisis period, South Eastern Railway is playing a vital role to fulfil its social commitments and responsibilities.
SER has come forward to help the poor and needy people adjoining and outside railway areas by providing cooked food and edible items during the lockdown and restrictions due to outbreak of COVID-19.
Railway Protection Force of South Eastern Railway in association with IRCTC and different NGOs has served 6815 meals (lunch and dinner) on 5th April, 2020 to poor and needy people nearby its Headquarters and four Divisions viz. Kharagpur, Adra, Ranchi and Chakradharpur.
Since the beginning of lockdown period, South Eastern Railway has distributed 29,486 meals to the needy and poor people throughout its jurisdiction till 5th April, 2020.
South Eastern Railway Bharat Scouts & Guides is also playing a pivotal role during this crisis period. Members of SER Bharat Scouts & Guides visited the slum areas and have taken an active role to distribute and supply food packets and essential items to the poorer section of the society.
This distribution amongst the poor and needy people has been done adopting adequate safety measures and social distancing.
South Eastern Railway has taken 360 degree efforts to ensure that the interest of the passengers and all commercial clients are taken care of as well as keeping the national supply chain uninterrupted.
South Western Railway
GROCERIES DISTRIBUTED TO LABOURERS AT BALLARI
To help the daily wage labourers during the lockdown in the country on account of COVID-19 outbreak, South Western Railway Officers Association is providing grocery kits to labourers working in Goods Sheds at various locations. 100 nos. of Grocery packets were distributed to loading/unloading labourers working at Ballari on 04.04.2020.
Each packet has 5 Kg rice, 2 kg atta, 1 litre cooking oil, 1Kg Salt, 1 Kg Toor dal, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, jeera, 1 No. of Bath Soap and 1No. of Detergent soap. South Western Railway officers’ Association has contributed generously towards procuring these groceries.
This will suffice the grocery needs of family of four for 10 days. Shri Vinay, Assistant Divisional Engineer; Shri Vishwanath, Additional Divisional Medical Officer; Shri Veerakumar, Chief Goods Supervisor; Shri C. Rajashekhar, Chief Commercial Inspector and others distributed the grocery kits. Earlier, the Grocery kits were distributed to labourers at Gadag, Bagalkot, Desur.
In view of complete lockdown in the country on account of COVID-19 outbreak, as a goodwill gesture and relief to the labourers, Commercial Branch of Head Quarters distributed 45 grocery Packets to the contract labourers (House Keeping Staff) & other persons working at Headquarters office, Rail Soudha, Hubballi on 03.04.2020.
Each packet consists of 5 kg rice, 2 kg wheat floor, one Ltr oil, 1 kg toor dhal, 1 kg phova, 1 kg rava, 1 kg sugar, 1/4 kg tea powder, turmeric/chilli/Dania powder 100 gms each. The officers and staff of commercial branch of Headquarters contributed generously towards procuring these groceries.
Sri Anil Pavithran, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Sri K V Rao, Chief commercial Manager/Catering & PS, Sri Aravinda Herle G, Sr. Commercial Manager/HQ , Sri N Rajkumar, Sr. Commercial Manager/G and Sri Basudev Behera, Chief Office Superintendent and other staff of commercial branch distributed the groceries to the needy persons. On the occasion, Sri Anil Pavithran advised the labourers to take all precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He advised them to wear mask, maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently with soap/hand wash to curb the spread of this virus.
Northern Railway
RPF personnel of Delhi Division distributed 9000 meals free of cost (including 1800 meals to be distributed at dinner time). Prepared hygienically – 3500 prepared by IRCTC, 500 prepared by RPF team of Delhi Division, 500 prepared by M/s. Ambuj Hotel, 4500 prepared by NGOs, to the poor and needy at New Delhi, Old Delhi, Delhi Safdarjung, Subzi Mandi, Faridabad, DLT New Delhi, Adarsh Nagar, Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Patel Nagar, Ghaziabad, Mandawali, Delhi Shahdara, Narela and Shakurbasti.
Proper social distancing is being ensured during preparation and distribution of meals. Many female RPF personnel also participated in distribution of the meals.
Sh. S. C. Jain, DRM Delhi said that today was the 10th consecutive day that Delhi Division was distributing meals to the needy and till date more than 54,000 meals have been distributed by Delhi Division.