Mumbai Congress vice-chairman distributes ration on MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui's birthday

MUMBAI: City Congress (minority department) vice-chairman Haji Mudassar Patel celebrated Maharashtra's youngest MLA Zeeshan Siddiqui's 28th birthday by distributing free ration kits among 500 underprivileged families recently.
Patel who was at the forefront of helping the needy with free ration during the pandemic-induced lockdown used Siddiqui's birthday celebrations this past week to reach out to 500 poor families with ration kits.O
On this occasion he invited Siddiqui's father and former minister Baba Siddiqui to handover the ration kits to the poor families.
" Haji Mudassar Patel has been very prompt in reaching out to the needy. I really like his gesture and pray to God that he continues doing the good work," said Baba Siddiqui.
This time Patel chose to help poor families of Mahim West and Bandra West.
"Even when it is unlocked period, many families find it difficult to make ends meet because general public are not allowed to travel in local trains and they face difficulties in finding work," said Patel. He added that the centre and state governments should announce special packages for poor families.
Patel cited the example of several middle-class families which had to go back to their villages as work stopped in the city.
"I know a once prosperous couple whose son is doing MBBS and they had to shift to their village home as they could not afford the cost of living in the city as their work stopped during the lockdown. Now they are searching for loans and donations to meet their son's fees," added Patel.
Workers who had migrated to their villages after the lockdown was announced on March 24 are gradually returning to the city but many have lost jobs as the economic slowdown has forced a number of factories and work units to shut.
"Unless incentives and special packages are given, many poor will starve," he said.