Raj Kumar Parajuli
KTM- Local levels in Kavrepalanchowk have brought ‘food bank’ into operation to render relief to the poor and indigent community people who are finding hard to manage food during the lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Two local governments said they decided to establish the food bank in view of the increased risk of food crisis in the wake of frequent extension of lockdown.

Namobudhha municipality mayor Tanka Prasad Timilsina said food distribution to the needy families is going on in the town through the bank. ”Workers of non-organised sector have been given the special priority in the distribution.” As he said, in the first phase of distribution, 580 families were given the foodstuffs. Each relief package includes a sack of rice, two kilos of pulse, two liters of edible oil and two kilos of iodized salt. Discussions are underway to launch the second phase of distribution. Food assistance received from other organisations and donors have not been included in the distribution. The food bank has the stock of 19,000 kilos of rice; 1,200 kilos of pulse, 1,300 kilos of edible and 1,500 kilos of salt.

Similarly, the Panauti municipality had established the food bank a month ago. In the first phase, it had given foods to 130 families. The package was sufficient to meet the food requirement for a week, according to municipality mayor Bheem Neupane. The concept of food bank was implemented to maintain one door system in the collection and distribution of food assistance.

The beneficiaries of second phase distribution were workers associated with road, irrigation and drinking water sectors and those arrived from outside. Currently, the third-phase distribution is going on. A total of 470 families had received the assistance. The amount of the relief package was based the size of the family. Besides, the municipality is providing health equipment to the needy. So far over 100 organisations have contributed to the food bank.RSS