Bihar: More than 8.10 lakh people provided free meals at community kitchens in last two weeks

PATNA: More than 8.10 lakh needy people were provided meals since May 5 at different community kitchen centres across the state, disaster management department (DMD) additional chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit told TOI on Wednesday. These meals were provided free-of-the-cost.
He said as per the data available at the state headquarters, a total of 526 community kitchens were running in all 38 districts of the state on May 18. A maximum 34 community kitchens were being run in Samastipur district while only one in Sheohar on May 18. The number of such kitchens in Patna district was 19 till Tuesday.
Sources in the DMD said, some of the community kitchens began providing both meals to poor and needy people since May 5, the day Bihar government promulgated lockdown across the state. Since then, the number of community kitchens are increasing day-by-day. Altogether 526 community kitchens were running across the state till May 18.
“Altogether 1,07,026 people were provided meals from 526 community kitchens on May 18,” Amrit said while providing the district-wise data of beneficiaries. He said, the attendants of the covid-19 patients admitted at the dedicated covid hospitals, the dedicated covid health centres and the covid care centres, were also being provided both meals from these community kitchens.
Initially, these community kitchens were opened with an idea to provide both meals to the poor and needy people who were left without work or any kind of earnings due to the lockdown. But soon it was also decided to provide meals to the attendants of covid-19 patients, admitted at different government hospitals.
“At several places, meals were being delivered even to the family members of those covid-19 patients who are in isolation at their home,” said an official of Patna district administration.
After taking stock of arrangements and facilities at different community kitchens of 23 districts on Monday and Tuesday; CM Nitish Kumar asked the DMD officials to increase the number of such community kitchens and also set up such kitchens at the block headquarters.
“In view of the CM’s order, more kitchens are being opened by the different district administrations. The number of such kitchens will shoot up in a few days,” said a DMD official.