As the lock down entered 12th successive day to curtail spread of Coronavirus, the Srinagar administration has set into motion efforts to reach out to all residents, including citizens and outsiders, to provide them essential commodities at their doorsteps.
An official on Monday said in addition to food grains and LPG to citizens -- distribution of which was started on Saturday -- these efforts also include reaching out to citizens in need of other important food items and medicines and to migrant workers residing in the district.
He said during the last two days designated officials in all seven tehsils of the district distributed free food items to a total of some 2500 migrant workers. “The food packets provided to each worker included different items ranging from rice to wheat to tea to milk to salt and sugar,” he said.
He said that as per the Labour department there are around 6000 migrant workers in Srinagar. “The remaining number of workers is expected to be reached out to and provided food items during the next two days,” he added.
In addition to this, he said the district administration is also reaching out to citizens in need and providing essential items as demanded. This is being done under an initiative named 'social security outreach'.
He said under this initiative over 300 families in need, who called the dedicated helpline numbers, were provided free food items and medicines. “Of these over 190 families were provided food packets and over 100 families free medicines as demanded. Other requests are under process and will be completed in due course,” he said.
He said the provision of free food items and medicines to those in need is going on at the same time as PDS distribution of essential commodities including food grains and LPG to citizens.
“So far since the distribution was started on Saturday, the administration has covered some 23000 households distributing totals of 10,500 quintals of rice and 630 quintals of wheat in 6 out of 34 sub-zones of the district. The distribution of foodgrains will move to other six sub-zones Tuesday after completion in these sub-zones Monday,” he said.
He said with regard to distribution of LPG over 10000 families have been covered and provided the gas during the last days. “The entire 3.3 lakh customer base of the district is targeted to be completed within one to two weeks,” he said.
He said that residents are being provided all these items at their doorsteps in view of restrictions on public movement put in place in the district in an effort to contain spread of the coronavirus infection.
The Srinagar administration has devised a comprehensive plan to ensure each of over 2.6 lakh households gets its quota of foodgrains and LPG without having to move out of their homes.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary on Sunday visited several places in the city to oversee distribution of ration and LPG supplies.
During the visit, he also visited the new quarantine facilities which are being made available in the district for future use in case of need.
Dr Choudhary also visited various areas to inspect adherence to strict restrictions imposed as part of elaborate measures put in place in the district to contain spread of the coronavirus infection. It is notable that restrictions were tightened last week after more positive cases of COVID-19 surfaced in the district.