Pune: Cops unbending even with essential service providers

Ardhra Nair | TNN | Updated: Apr 22, 2020, 07:53 IST

A man walks past a food truck in Erandwane on Tuesday.

PUNE: Essential service providers were stopped from going about their duties by police staff manning blocked roads on Monday and told to stay home.
Home-nurses taking care of senior citizens and other patients, people distributing food to migrants and homeless people and solid waste collection and handling (SWaCH) staff are complaining of being harassed while going to work.
Kavita Palkar, a home nurse who looks after three patients, all aged above 95 years, said she faced problems while on her way to work.
“The children of these senior citizens are over 60 years of age and suffer from various illnesses, and cannot change the catheter or sponge the older kin. I can’t stay in their house because I have a special child at home. We have permission from the police and the local corporator. Even so, some policemen stop us, talk harshly and refuse to listen to us,” she said.
Milind Kamble, founder chairman of Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, runs two community kitchens in Pune serving food to over 2,000 homeless and migrant people and resident doctors of Sassoon General Hospital.
He said they too faced a problem after women who helped in cooking at the College of Engineering Pune kitchen did not turn up on Monday.
“Six women from the nearby areas who make chapatis were unable to come. Despite talking to the police and explaining that they provide essential services, they were refused permission. We managed to get others but food preparation was delayed by 30 minutes. We will speak to the higher authorities,” Kamble said.
SWaCH coordinator Tanaji Kasabe had to take two or three detours to reach Warje from Hinjewadi. “The police have closed all roads going to Pune Municipal Corporation area. I took two detours while going to Warje where I work as a ward coordinator. On my way back, the police refused to allow me to enter Pimpri Chinchwad at any chowk. I said I was under essential services but they didn’t budge. I was directed to a third route, a 9km detour to reach home,” Kasabe said.
Mukesh Waghmare, a site supervisor, who runs three tempo travellers supplying lunch to about 2,000 homeless and migrants in the city and the outskirts, said he too had a harrowing time on Monday explaining to the petrol pump staff that his tempo comes under the essential services.
“Since the curfew was imposed today, the petrol pump staff refused to provide petrol. I showed them the pass and the empty containers that carry food but they did not budge. The police question us but let us go when they see the containers. Without petrol, we cannot take food to places in Hinjewadi and Wagholi,” he said.