It’s an area spread on about seven acres on the outskirts of this mandal headquarters town. While every office premises is locked down, here people are busy running against time. They have to complete their work by the time vehicles start from the premises. In addition to employees hired by the organisation, there are more than 50 volunteers packing food items from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which used to supply mid-day meals to students, is now supplying food items to the needy as the lockdown has impacted many families across the State.
Every day about 50 volunteers are coming here from neighbouring areas to pack grocery. Each grocery packet contains five kg rice, one kg red gram, two kg potato, 200 gms of tamarind, half litre oil and red chilly powder. It was estimated that this would be sufficient to meet the needs of a small family for two weeks. The activity was undertaken on April 5.
Akshaya Patra is also supplying dinner for about 21,000 persons every day. The food is being cooked in the afternoon and as many as 12 vehicles start here between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and reach the destination by evening. The distribution of food commences at 6 p.m. at the designated centres.
Patancheru, Hafizpet, Gatchibowli, Masabtank, Rasoolpura, Goshamahal, Secunderabad and ECIL are among the places covered by the teams of Akshaya Patra to distribute food. Food supply is also extended to about 500 persons at the government hospital located at the district headquarters.
“One of the founders of Infosys N. R. Narayana Murthy donated ₹10 crore for this activity pan-India. Other philanthropists are aslo supporting the activity,” A. Vinay Kumar, in-chrge of the operations, told The Hindu.