This story is from June 9, 2021

Corpn to rope in school principals to check crowding at foodgrain centres

Corpn to rope in school principals to check crowding at foodgrain centres
This pandemic has wreaked havoc in the lives of migrants and poor of the capital, who've found it extremely hard to make both ends meet. Obtaining ration has been the biggest battle they've had to fight all these months. Many of them have hardly earned anything in the past one month due to the pandemic-induced lockdown. talks to people who failed to get ration after waiting in serpentine queues for days. A view outside the seemapuri school. PHOTO BY RAJESH MEHTA
New Delhi: To ensure there is no crowding at its free foodgrain distribution centres, East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has decided to rope in nodal officers, in addition to the school principals who are supposed to look after the management of these 28 centres.
EDMC mayor Nirmal Jain asked for assigning nodal officers to help and supervise the centres at a high-level meeting with other representatives and officials.
“From our side, we want to give a trouble-free experience to needy people visiting the centres for ration distribution. At the same time, however, implementing Covid protocol is important to minimise the chances of infection, which is why I also gave instructions to allow people in queues at centres, avoid chaos and give entry in rooms to only those whose coupons are generated for delivery of grains. For visitors, we are arranging for a facility of drinking water, etc,” the mayor explained.
Jain added that over 200 staff members, including four-five teachers are engaged at each centre for online data entry, recording Aadhaar details, checking duplication and generating coupons after incorporating the mobile number of the beneficiary.
“Workforce at each school includes two or three Grade D staff at each centre for loading and unloading of ration, which is distributed under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana from June 5 on the direction of Delhi government’s department of food and supplies. The district administration has also provided sufficient civil defence guards for crowd management,” the mayor added.
As per the government’s scheme, schools are distributing 4 kg wheat and one kg rice to each person every month after updating his/her Aadhaar details and verifying that the person is a non-ration card holder.
In north Delhi, ration is being distributed at 40 primary schools in addition to Delhi government schools.
North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Jai Prakash said they have received some complaints regarding crowding, lack of management and people unable to get ration. “I will visit some of these centres soon, speak to visitors and try to resolve their issues even if that would require additional placement of staff,” said Jai Prakash.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation, meanwhile, is distributing ration at its 31 primary schools in its jurisdiction. “The entire scheme is being looked after by the district administration, including management of crowd. Our teachers are communicating the status to the authorities for necessary action,” leader of the House, Narendra Chawla, said.
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