More than half of Fiji’s rural population lives in poverty
This contributes to 62.2 per cent of the country's total poor population of around 900,000 people.
With a rise in Covid cases in the districts, the state administration has decided to reach out with food packets for the poor Covid patients, who are in home isolation.
State chief secretary HK Dwivedi issued a directive in this regard to the District Magistrates (DM) today. The DMs have been asked to ensure that the administration reaches out to the poor people who have been infected with Covid and are unable to venture out for work. Many of such Covid patients are in home isolation.
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Mr Dwivedi has asked the DMs to coordinate with the police commissioner or the superintendent of police in order to get details of such patients. Accordingly, food packets are to be delivered at their houses. The police would be roped in in this delivery process and the director general of police will also issue instructions in this regard.
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According to sources, the food packet would contain puffed rice, rice, pulses, biscuits and some more dry items. The packets would be labeled as ‘courtesy West Bengal Government and West Bengal Police’. Currently, the state government provides free ration to economically weaker sections of the society.
The initiative to hand over food packets to those who are Covid affected will be a further help to such people whose livelihood is likely to be hit the most due to the pandemic, said an official. “Moreover, if food packets reach their homes, then the urge to go out for work despite being ill will automatically decrease,” he said.
Further, the state government’s initiative has come at a time when distribution of additional food grains freeof-cost under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKAY) in Bengal has stopped this month due to non-delivery from the Food Corporation of India.
The Centre had announced that the additional food grains will be supplied till March 2022 but due to short supply distribution has been stopped. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly has cancelled all meetings of the Standing Committee and restricted the attendance of its staff to 50 per cent.
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