Vijayawada Railway division distributes 2.5Lakh free meals to needy, migrants

Vijayawada: In the wake of the nationwide lockdown being imposed across the country to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, Vijayawada division of the South Central Railway (SCR) and IRCTC have come together to provide food for the needy during this critical period.

As part of this, 2 lakh food packets were distributed starting from March 30 to the needy in Vijayawada and suburbs. The Vijayawada Railway division in association with IRCTC, local NGOs like Amruta Hastham, Sarah foundation, Karuna Eye Foundation, Nimble Women Welfare Society and Yuva Vikas have distributed hot cooked meals to the needy, migrants, daily labourers and old-age homes.

Vijayawada division tops the list in terms of total free food distribution till date in the entire zone of South Central Railway, said P Srinivas, Divisional Railway Manager, Vijayawada.

He informed that the Vijayawada division has played a pivotal role since the start of the lockdown in maintaining the supply chain and logistics of essential goods such as food and medicine to even remote locations of the country.

The Railways is also providing food packets from May 2 onwards to the migrant workers, who are travelling in Shramik special runs by Indian Railways to different parts of the country. A total of 54,500 food packets have been distributed to the passengers travelling in trains passing through the division. IRCTC base kitchen is doing excellent work in cooking food and distribution along with water bottles, paper plates and spoons etc.

Tamarind rice, vegetable pulao, sambar rice, curd rice, upma, chapati, kurma and pongal neatly packed. An average of 1,150 meals was distributed by IRCTC, Vijayawada to each Shramik Special plying through Vijayawada every day.

Railway Protection Force and the staff from commercial department are participating in the service activity.