Collector rushes food to hungry slum-dwellers

Ahmedabad Collector sends team of officials with food kits after Mirror report on plight of Sardarnagar slumdwellers struggling to get ration

Ahmedabad collectorate swung into action on Wednesday, following Mirror's report on how Sardarnagar slum dwellers feared death from hunger as they did not have ration cards, and distributed food kits to them. The officials also filled up ration card application forms of about 250 slumdwellers so that they could be provided documentation at the earliest to avail free ration.

Talking to Mirror, Ahmedabad Collector K K Nirala said, "We did the needful. Most of the families there had ration cards and we began the process of issuing it to those who did not have them. Our survey shows that the Anna Bhrama Yojna is being implemented well in Ahmedabad."



Deep Dave, Assistant Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, said, "We worked with the local administration and distributed the food kits among the needy. Nobody will go hungry and if required more kits would be distributed."

The 400-odd residents of the slums, mostly daily wage labourers, had protested on Tuesday regarding their plight of neither having money nor food. Tushar Devda, a class 12 examinee who had made the placard for the residents to protest on Tuesday, said, "It is good that the food kits have finally come but still few things are missing in them. We appeal to government to supply oil, salt, turmeric and means to convert wheat into flour. If these things are done then it will be very helpful."


Madhuben Bhil (50), who works as a house help on regular days and has a bedridden husband to cater to, said, "We can't work due to the lockdown and we also don't have any money as our salaries are not paid. It was difficult for us to survive but the food kits are surely going to help us."

Sunita Bhil (28), a beneficiary, said, "We have got the food kits and are very happy about it. But still if we get some additional household items which will help us to cook the food then it would be very helpful."