Till date 37,28,985 cooked meals served and  1,91,320 grocery kits delivered 

Mysore/Mysuru: Bengaluru-based Akshaya Patra Foundation that is striving to eliminate classroom hunger by implementing the Mid-day Meal Scheme in Government Schools has stepped in to provide relief to COVID-19 victims by providing food and grocery kits to thousands of people.

Since the COVID-19 crisis, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, in close coordination with State Governments and District Administrations, has stepped in to provide relief across the country. The Foundation is utilising its mega kitchens to feed people. 

By adhering to all safety and hygiene measures, Akshaya Patra has begun its relief service by providing meal or dry ration support to people in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, National Capital Region, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Till date 37,28,985 cooked meals have been served and 1,91,320 grocery kits have been delivered.

The kits that are being distributed contain Sona Masoori rice (5 kg), tur dal (1 kg), oil (0.5 litre), sambar and rasam powder, spices, salt, soap, vegetables which have a long shelf-life such as potatoes and pumpkins. The food is sufficient for a family of four for a week. A single person can use the kit for 21 days and one kit can serve 42 meals.

In Karnataka, Karnataka Labour Department has joined hands with the Foundation to distribute food items. Over 700 Civil Defence personnel are deployed to prepare food and per day, over 7,000 boxes are being prepared in Bengaluru. 

“At this time of COVID-19 lockdown situation, there are many migrant labourers and daily-wage earners who are severely affected. So the Government asked us (Foundation) to serve meals in partnership with them and supply meals in hunger relief centres in various parts,” Bharatarshabha Dasa, Regional President, Akshaya Patra Foundation, Delhi, told reporters here.

“We had the facility as the schools are shut and partnered with the Government to serve the meals to the people in need. It is an important social cause as the whole country is in crisis and there is a need to serve food,” he said. Dasa said they were moved by words of a migrant labourer who said that ‘before COVID-19, hunger will kill us’.

Many personalities have volunteered to provide kits. They include Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy and his wife who sponsored 1.5 lakh kits and Bollywood celebrity Hrithik Roshan who facilitated 1.2 lakh meals.