March 27, 2020
Didi hits the streets, distributing food to the poor, reassuring everyone
When the whole of Bengal is under lockdown, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, true to her nature, is leading from the front. ‘Work from home’ is not for her, and almost every day she is hitting the streets and lanes of Kolkata, either reviewing the emergency measures or lending a helping hand in distributing food to the poor or talking to encourage doctors and health workers, the personnel in the frontline of the fight against coronavirus infection.
Today, immediately after the meeting at the State secretariat, Nabanna, she went to Alipore. There she distributed food packets among the rickshaw-pullers, bereft of daily income as they are due to the restrictions imposed on movements.
After this, she visited the night shelter set up by the State Government in Kalighat, where many homeless people have found a place, and there too distributed food. She also explained to the people at the shelter the importance of maintaining social distancing in stopping the spread of the virus. She herself is also always following the social distancing protocol and wearing a mask wherever required.
Yesterday evening, she had gone to Posta Bazar in the Burrabazar area – from where essential commodities and vegetables reach different corners of the city daily – and told the people involved in the trade to ensure that there is no disruption in the supply.
Then she went to Janbazar in central Kolkata and spoke to the shopkeepers and their customers. There she also drew circles with chalk on the street to demonstrate to people the distance to be maintained between two people. At the press conference at Nabanna on Wednesday, she had demonstrated the same on a board.
Leaving Janbazar, Mamata Banerjee went to Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, and there too spoke to shopkeepers and the buyers. She assured everyone there would be no dearth in the supply of essential goods. She just asked people to be careful and follow the rules.
The last stop on Wednesday was Gariahat, and there as well she spoke to the people, reassuring everyone of continuity in supply of goods and the need for sticking to all the rules prescribed by the government.
