GHMC’s self-contradictory and shifting positions with regard to private distribution of food and essentials, and silence on the part of the State government are dampening the philanthropic initiatives taken up by individuals and organisations to provide succour to the persons pushed into destitution during the present lockdown in the city.
The statement by Mayor Bonthu Ram Mohan on Monday, that COVID-19 relief passes issued to NGOs and individuals stood invalid from April 21 has discouraged philanthropists from providing cooked food to the poor.
“I was distributing 400 to 500 kits of cooked food every day. I would collect my daily pass from GHMC after specifying the area, quantity of food and other details. A person from GHMC would accompany,” said Harish Kumar Daga, an IT professional, who had been distributing food, masks and other supplies to the homeless since day one of the lockdown.
On Saturday, however, he was refused a pass by the GHMC, and officials asked him to deposit the food with the special wing set up by the corporation for this purpose.
“I was told that the distribution was being taken over by the GHMC. After supplying food for two days subsequently, I have stopped it, as I don’t know whether the food was reaching the needy,” Mr. Daga said.
Ironically, he pointed out, Minister K. T. Rama Rao appreciated a TRS activist Jagan Patimeedi on Twitter, for distributing essentials to 400 migrant workers at Kukatpally on Tuesday, the same day when Mr. Ram Mohan Rao went around the city, asking individual philanthropists not to distribute food among the homeless. Deputy Mayor Mohammed Baba Fasiuddin too distributed dry rations to the poor.
The police too did not seem to have clue about Mayor’s instructions, as they were allowing distribution after checking vehicle passes. “In coordination with the Rachakonda police, we have been distributing dry rations for several days, and continued the same on Tuesday too at a slum near L. B. Nagar,” said K.Satyavathi from Bhumika Women’s Collective.
Syed Kasim Ali Hashmi, another philanthropist, says he too went about the distribution to 2,000 persons as usual. “How can they declare invalid their own passes? We have participated in video conferences with the Chief Secretary, and he encouraged us, and promised to support us by issuing passes. Unless there is a written executive order against distribution, we will not stop,” said K.Sajaya, of Women and Transgender JAC.
Monday was not the first instance where a warning against philanthropic initiatives came from the Mayor. Earlier too, Mr. Ram Mohan had issued a statement asking NGOs and individuals to route their support through GHMC.
The instructions were not implemented though. Only special GHMC passes had been issued since, apart from COVID-19 relief passes by the police. Nobody has any clue to where the directions are from, as no formal order has been issued in this regard.