By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], Mar 28 : Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh members are providing food to the needy by operating 52 kitchens across eight zones in the national capital. The kitchens started within hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaring a nationwide lockdown last Tuesday to combat the spread of COVID-19.
According to Dayanand, state executive member, RSS, there are around 52 functional kitchens in Delhi alone and each zone ensures that food or ration reaches the needy in their respective area.
"We have been running a kitchen for past three days, and we make approximately 3000 food packets in three shifts. We have eight divisions and each division is making around 2500-3000 food packets. These meals are also being served to migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who are at the Anand Vihar border," said one RSS functionary.
Satish, supervisor of the kitchen in the east zone, said that around 200 to 250 workers are engaged in food distribution and cooking. These involve traders, professionals, restaurant owners and many others like working on dry cleng shops.
Shobhit, a 29-year-old software engineer prepares food in one of the shifts, which is then packed to be distributed among the needy. He is one of 250 RSS workers who are preparing food in the 52 kitchens being operated in the city.
Another RSS functionary stated that those involved in packing and distribution of food maintain proper hygiene.
"We ask them to maintain social distancing. Hygiene is taken care of. Those in the kitchen are asked to remove shoes and wear gloves and use stisers before they enter the cooking zone," he added.
While acknowledging that migration of workers is not advisable in the given situation and that they should be staying indoors, RSS worker and a factory owner Chandrabhan said he has not let his workers leave Delhi for their respective villages.
"I have 90 workers in my factories. Since it is now closed, they all wanted to leave. I have asked them to stay in the factory and have arranged some houses for them to stay. Food is being provided to them as well," he added.
Apart from the food packets, Sewa Bharti, another RSS-affiliate is also distributing ration kits (rice, oil, flour and spices) in the colonies where people are registering themselves for lack of ration.
( With inputs from ANI )