Reportedly With the nationwide lockdown to combat coronavirus entering its fourth week, many in bengaluru continue to be left hungry, despite the karnataka government’s promises to feed the poor. Stranded across the city, many have neither been provided with cooked food nor pulses and food products. While rations from the government’s public distribution system (PDS) is usually only for those who hold ration cards, karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa had promised that people who didn’t have ration cards were also welcome to avail free food grains through PDS shops.
However, on the ground, this is not the case. Officials admit that the promise has not been implemented since the details have not been worked out. With no written orders issued to provide food grains to those without ration cards, many have questioned the Chief Minister’s hasty assurances to the press on feeding the hungry. Speaking to TNM, N krishnamurthy, chairperson of the State Commission for Food and Civil Supplies, karnataka said, “APL (above poverty line) and BPL (below poverty line) card holders are being given their rations, but not those without ration cards. The scheme for non-card holders is not yet final, there is no ground-level implementation. The Revenue Department must discuss it, and they are still thinking about how to go about it.”
While the government made promises about feeding the hungry in the state, many of those who already possess ration cards also said that they are yet to get the food grains. Mahima, a pourakarmika (sanitary worker) from Chamrajpet, bengaluru, said that she has not got any rations for the month. Due to the void in the availability of food for the most vulnerable in society, local citizens’ groups and NGOs have taken it upon themselves to provide for the poor. However, the large number of people in need of urgent help for their basic survival amounts to thousands. This has overwhelmed many of the private individuals and organisations trying to help them. This is why they urge the government to take concrete steps to give support to people in need of basic food.
