Bhopal: Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic planted its feet firmly in Madhya Pradesh, political parties have moved away from their blame games and are reaching out to those affected by the nationwide lockdown.
While the Madhya Pradesh Congress is using its headquarters here as the base for its food distribution programme, the BJP is also providing meals with the help of its workers and local leaders.
The Rajiv Gandhi Hall at Madhya Pradesh Congress office here has been converted into a community kitchen, to provide meals to those affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Located in the ground floor of Indira Bhawan, the state Congress headquarters in Bhopal, Rajiv Gandhi Hall is full of vessels.
“We have set up a kitchen here to provide meals to daily wagers and those who have no access to essential commodities during the lockdown,” state Congress treasurer Govind Goyal told PTI.
Food packets are being distributed by party workers and representatives of social organisations.
“Our target at present is to run the kitchen till April 15. We are able to provide 25,000 food packets every day,” he added.
Meanwhile, the BJP has assigned the work of food distribution to its vast network of local leaders and workers across the state.
“We have made multi-layered arrangements to reach out the poor in the state. Our workers are sending out meals from their homes,” BJP’s state president Rajnish Agarwal said.
Apart from this, community kitchens were also set up by leaders soon after the lockdown was announced, he said.
The party plans to engage nine lakh of its workers in the food distribution chain and related works during the lockdown, he said.
“In addition to meals, our workers also send out packages containing lentils, rice, flour, oil and other essentials, ” Agarwal said.
BJP workers have been reaching out to 25-30 lakh people every day and hope to help out 45 lakh people daily, he added.
“We are distributing food packets with the help of local administration, police and social organisations, who are in touch with people in need,” he said.
The work is being monitored constantly by a committee of leaders at the state level, he added.