athmandu : Nepal Police have come up with an idea of distributing free-of-cost essential foods to those helpless, homeless and labourers, depending on daily wages.
The Metropolitan Police Office, Ranipokhari, took the initiative in support of the banking sector to arrange meal for them who are currently facing hard times to manage two meals a day.
Police have urged all such daily wage earners and helpless people residing in different places in the Valley to dial 100 to report about their problem if they are not getting food during the lockdown.
“The social drive of Nepal Police began from Tuesday in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley and will continue until the lockdown order gets lifted,” Deputy Inspector General and chief at Metropolitan Police Office Bishwa Raj Pokharel told The Himalayapost.
“Daily wages earners or labourers, differently able people, homeless and helpless can get food as we have started providing them food by taking support of different banks under their corporate social responsibility (CSR),” DIG Pokharel said.
Labourers, who have become jobless and moneyless and have to feed their families every day based upon their daily labour, are in top priority of the police, he said.
“We are collecting the lists of such individuals and people residing in various locations of the valley with the help of social volunteers and who have long been engaged in social services and feeding the old-age home people,” he said.
Under the presence of DIG Pokharel himself on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police Office distributed free essential goods to 95 people in Bhaktapur area. Of the total people, 63 were differently able,
20 helpless and homeless people at Chardobato near Hanumante corridor in Thimi, and 12 labourers in Sallaghari area.
DIG Pokharel said that the office had begun such programme as people with hungry belly living in the society can commit many crimes like stealing, cheating and murdering. The office will continue the service until the lockdown is lifted, he said.
The government has also instructed the local body (ward offices) to manage and start distributing free-of-cost daily essential goods to needy people by establishing a fund at the local levels. When the local bodies start distributing such essential goods to them, over 90 per cent of the problem will be resolved automatically, he said.
On Monday night also, DIG Pokharel distributed 25 sacks of rice, 25 litres oil, 25 packets of lentils, and 25 packets of salt to Human Service Ashram, Kathmandu. The Ashram has been housing 263 homeless people from three districts of the Valley. The food will be enough for next one week, according to Suman Bartaula, spokesperson at the Ashram.
