DSCC to provide food for another one lakh families

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will provide food packs to one lakh poor families who are out of work during this Ramadan, DSCC mayor Sayeed Khokon told The Daily Star yesterday.

This new batch of aid follows a prior relief effort, where the city corporation authorities provided food aid to another one lakh families.

"After the last batch of aid (which started on March 28), we have decided to distribute food to another one lakh families during Ramadan," the DSCC mayor said.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed public representatives and the administration to stand by those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

DSCC has already received Tk 3 crore from government funds, and is also expending from its own fund, the mayor told this correspondent.

The food packs include rice, lentils, salt, potato, cooking oil, and soap, and is expected to last for one month, Khokon added.

DSCC has already formed committees in every ward to distribute the relief. The committees are supervised by zonal executive offices with the local ward councilor as adviser.

The initial target was to distribute food to 50,000 families, but it was doubled as more people have plunged into suffering due to the shutdown, Khokon said.

Many people who could run their families for about a month with savings and deposited money are also sliding into helplessness after the shutdown was prolonged, the mayor informed.

Those in need will also be able to get assistance by calling DSCC's hotline number, the mayor said. DSCC has opened a control room in this regard last month. The control room numbers are: 01709-900703 and 01709-900704.

After a family calls to place their demand for aid, DSCC staff will get foods packs straight to their doors under the programme.

"I will continue this food distribution programme till my last day as a mayor," said the outgoing mayor, whose tenure ends on May 17.

"Even after my tenure, I will remain engaged in party activities and will continue to look out for those in need by spending from my own pocket," he said.