Warangal: GWMC to feed hungry stomachs free of cost

Warangal: With the coronavirus lockdown is wreaking havoc on poor; the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) appears to be in the forefront of serving the poor and needy by reopening the Annapurna Canteens that went dysfunctional in the recent past.

Earlier, the GWMC in coordination with the Akshaya Patra Foundation, run by Hare Krishna Movement, operated nine canteens providing Rs 5 mid-day meals for the poor and farmers in the city. Although the GWMC used to pay Rs 19 per meal, the Akshaya Patra provided Rs 6 per each meal besides operating the canteens. Of late due to lockdown and other reasons, these canteens have gone dormant.

However with the situation going from bad to worse for the poor and migrant workers, the GWMC had reopened all nine canteens - Warangal Railway Station, CKM Hospital, Under Bridge, MGM Hospital, Enumamula Agriculture Market Yard, Government Maternity Hospital in Hanamkonda, Zilla Parishad, KU Cross Roads and Kazipet Railway Station – to feed the poor, homeless, migrant workers and GWMC's sanitation workers, free of cost. Moreover, the GWMC has decided to bear entire cost of the meals provided to the needy.

Speaking to The Hans India, Municipal Commissioner Pamela Satpathy said: "Earlier, the canteens offered each meal at Rs 5 once in a day. Now, the GWMC will provide meals twice a day – lunch and supper – to address the hunger of poor and those stranded migrant workers. In all, we will offer food to 4,100 needy persons twice every day.

The Commissioner said that efforts are on to procure masks, gloves, soaps and sanitisers with the help of philanthropists. 'So far, we have distributed 5,000 masks to the sanitation workers. We will get another 10,000 masks manufactured by the women self-help groups, 5,000 from the inmates of Warangal Central Prison and 500 from the employees of the GWMC,' Pamela Satpathy said.