To provide free food during the lockdown period to staff serving at private health establishments in the city and to the relatives of the patients who are admitted there for treatment, the followers of D.K. Shivakumar, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), have launched a mobile canteen service named after him.
The service of “D.K. Shivakumar mobile canteen” was flagged off by Kimmane Rathnakar, former Minister, in the city on Wednesday. R. Prasanna Kumar, MLC, and H.S. Sundaresh, president of Shivamogga District Congress Committee, were present on the occasion.
Devendrappa, secretary of KPCC, told presspersons that as most of the canteens on the premises of private hospitals are closed during the lockdown period, the staff serving there and the relatives of the patients were finding it difficult to get food. To get packed food from nearby restaurants, autorickshaws are not plying in the city. The major chunk of these people cannot place order for food online as they do not have smartphones. For the benefit of these people, the mobile canteen service was launched, he said.
On the inaugural day, the mobile canteen served breakfast and lunch to more than 700 persons. From Thursdaythe time at which the vehicle carrying the food packets would arrive near the health establishments would be announced in advance. Mr. Devendrappa said that hygiene would be maintained while cooking the food and social distancing during its distribution.