Shillong May 17: Many well wishers, groups, and samaritans have rendered help to the people in need especially rice and few food items ever since the anti-coronavirus lockdown came into force on March 25.
However one group of well wishers came together by implementing a unique initiative that has enabled them to distribute many essential items to each needy family.
The initiative came through senior advocate, Sunil Agarwal, and his friend, Dinesh Kumar Dixit, and they were joined by a number of well wishers who supported this good cause including East Shillong MLA, Ampareen Lyngdoh and few other unnamed individuals.
On Sunday, the 37 essential items, except rice, were distributed to more than 250 needy families of Happy Valley and nearby areas, and the beneficiaries were identified irrespective of caste, creed or religion following a house to house survey.
“We listed down around 250 needy families hailing from different communities, and each family, we gave them token so that they can collect the essential item from all the 28 counters without overcrowding the area,” Agarwal said.
The essential items were distributed by volunteers through a long line of 28 counters put up together on the roadside at Happy Valley on Sunday.
Various items were kept in each counter and the beneficiaries walked to collect the essential items from all the 28 counters by maintaining social distancing
“In the list of 37 essential items, we did not include rice because we have already distributed rice to many needy families earlier,” Agarwal said.
During the distribution, Each beneficiary received mustard oil, nutrela, vegetables like tomato, potato, cabbage, chilli, onion, dal, brown chana, ginger, masala, turmeric, salt, milk, sugar, tea leaves, fruits like banana, lemon, valencia orange, apple, bread, biscuits, soaps for bathing and washing, toothpaste, detergent, match boxes, and others.
Each beneficiary was also given some amount of money when they collected the essential items.
Agarwal thanked his friends who have come together to generously contribute the essential items for distributing the same to the needy families, adding that, will extend help to the needy people in future too.
Many social organisations have come forward in the past two months to extend whatever assistance they can, big or small, to the people either in cash or in kind, during this 54-day lockdown.
The national lockdown was first imposed for 21 days from March 25 to April 14.
Later the lockdown was extended for 40 days till May 3, and again extended to May 17, giving a total of 54 lockdown days.
As the Central government is set to announce new guidelines for the next phase of lockdown, few states have already extended the lockdown to May 31.
