Madurai corporation starts free food scheme to end hunger

MADURAI: With an aim to ensure that no one in the city went hungry, the Madurai corporation on Saturday launched 'Pasiilla Madurai', the hunger-free Madurai scheme, at the Government Rajaji Hospital.
The hospital was chosen as the first place to introduce the scheme as it was found that many people who attended to the in-patients at the hospital usually found it difficult to have a decent meal.
Corporation commissioner Sandeep Nanduri who launched the scheme said that though the hospital provided food to the patients, their attendants often had to skip their meals on many occasions.
This scheme was aimed at providing them a good meal. There are between 7,000 and 8,000 outpatients and 1,000 to 2,000 inpatients at the hospital who are accompanied by about 4,000 attendants. The "Amma unavagam'' inside the hospital premises was able to provide food for only 400 people. Now, many more would be able to get food under the scheme.
In the first phase, 500 food packets are to be distributed in the hospital a day, according to the commissioner. Already, five shelters for the poor are functioning in Madurai and ten more are under construction. One of these shelters is to be established at the hospital.
Steps are being taken to provide food to the people staying in these shelters. Those wishing to contribute to the scheme can do so by e-recharging the mobile number 99942-60606 or even through bank transfers to the account created for this purpose. The scheme would be expanded to feed people in places like the Madurai railway junction and bus stands depending on the donations being received.
Those wishing to donate through this e-recharge will have to download the app for this purpose on their mobile phones. The minimum donation should be Rs 50 which would enable the project to feed two persons, said Alima Banu Sikkandar, the chairperson of Palakarangal Trust, the NGO partner for this project. Soon, donations can also be made through the website www.pasiillamadurai.org.
On the first day, packets of curd rice were distributed to the needy. However, once the operations become full-fledged in a week or so, it is proposed to provide other rice preparations as well. There is also a proposal to provide cut fruits twice a week. Dean of the Government Rajaji hospital Dr M R Vairamuthu Raju, city health officer Dr Parthiban and assistant collector Vishnu Chandran among others participated.