The distribution of the herbal preparation by Ayurveda practitioner B. Anandaiah was launched in a decentralised manner from the Venkaiah Swamy temple at Golagamudi, near Venkatachalam, in Nellore district on Monday.
The distribution of three variants of the herbal preparation was taken up amid tight security across the villages in Sarvepalli Assembly segment through volunteers after the inauguration of the medical camp by YSRCP MLA from Sarvepalli and the party’s district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy.
The move came on the heels of the green signal given by the State government in the wake of the intervention by the High Court. As many as 20,000 packets of the herbal preparation was distributed on Monday, he said.
“We will ensure distribution of the herbal preparation through our network of volunteers to 1.80 lakh families in the Assembly segment,” the MLA said.
Meanwhile, followers of Mr. Anandaiah were jubilant as the Andhra Pradesh High Court gave its nod for the distribution of the ‘K’ variant of the herbal preparation that can reportedly cure viral diseases.
The permitted variants of the herbal preparation would be made available to patients seeking them at the COVID Care centres set up across the district, Mr. Anandaiah said. Those seeking the herbal preparation from other districts would also be given if they approach him through non-governmental organisations to ensure distribution, after complying with COVID protocols, the MLA said.
Police erected checkposts at Krishnapatnam and other places to prevent people from swarming the village. Barricades were put up at several places on the Chennai-Kolkata highway by police personnel under the supervision of Nellore Rural Deputy Superintendent of Police Y. Harinath Reddy.
Police had a tough time preventing milling of crowds as people arrived by various modes of transport to get packets of the herbal preparation. Many of them gained entry into the village through beaten tracks across farms.
“Nobody should come to Krishnapatnam on their own as the herbal preparation would be made available only through the district administration first to patients in CCCs within the district and later in other districts,” the DSP said.