RWAs ask police to ensure people maintain social distance during food distribution

The residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) of Sector 21 and 22 on Thursday wrote to the local police demanding deployment of more police personnel at the food distribution centres in their respective sectors to ensure that the beneficiaries maintain adequate social distance.

The RWAs had said in the letter that a large number of people gather at the food distribution centres and alleged that the people are not able to maintain social distance. The RWAs further alleged that adequate police personnel is not deployed to ensure that people who walk to the centres from their homes for meals twice a day follow social distance norms.

Like many other municipal wards in the city, the community centres at sector 21 and 22 ( Ward 4) have been developed by Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) as food distribution centres where meals are provided to daily wage earners, migrant workers, and those living in slums and villages. After the nationwide lockdown came into force on March 25, many people have been left with little or no money and do not have access to food and other essential goods.

Residents said that at least 2,000 people from Salapur, Mulahera and other areas in the vicinity come to the two centres to collect their food.

“On their way to the, the people walk almost touching each other. It is the responsibility of the police and MCG appointed nodal authority to ensure they maintain social distance. We have written to the station house officer(SHO) of Palam Vihar to deploy adequate police to ensure everyone stands in queue at the centre and walks maintaining at least a one-metre distance from one another,” Bhim Singh Yadav, president, Sector 22 RWA, said.

The residents have also appealed the area councillor to approach the police in this regard. “We have observed that people wait for at least an hour or so two hours for meals daily. This long wait is the main reason that a large crowd swells up at the centres. We have requested the councillor and MCG officials to address the issue,” Shashi Pal Yadav, president, Sector 21 RWA.

Beneficiaries who collect meals from the food distribution centres said maintaining social distance becomes harder during the long wait at the facility. “We wash our hands, cover our faces and usually maintain social distance, but at the Sector 21 food distribution centre we wait for hours for food due to which a crowd swells up there and we are unable to avoid standing in close proximity, ” Mohan Singh, a daily-wage earner who lives in Mulahera, said.

Virender Yadav, area councillor, said, “ After residents raised concerns, we spoke to the food distribution in-charge in this regard. We will ensure people at these two centres stand in queue and we will also ensure they do not have to wait long for food.”

MCG has set up over 40 food distribution centres and set up a team of officials and volunteers to distribute food in the city with the help of police during the lockdown.

Vivek Kalia, one of the two nodal officers appointed by MCG for the purpose, said, “I will ask the officials concerned and in-charge of these centres to make people aware about the importance of social distance. Police should also step in and ensure people stand in queues at the centre.”

The police said they will look into the matter and take adequate steps to ensure people follow social distance.

Rajender Yadav, SHO, Palam Vihar, said, “If required, we will deploy more personnel to ensure people follow social distancing guidelines. I also take rounds every day in the entire area to observe the law and order situation.”