Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Monday launched the distribution of foodgrains to 85 institutions as part of the initiative of Chennai Food Bank for providing three lakh meals free of cost to the underprivileged.
Target
The distribution was organised to commemorate Mahavir Jayanti. The food bank has set a target of distributing free foodgrains to 150 institutions which serve the poor and the needy in and around Chennai, said Nirmal Nahar, Chairman and Managing Trustee of the Chennai Food Bank.
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“Over 85 orphanages, homes for the people with disability and old age homes in Chennai and its suburbs are receiving the food grains from the Food Bank,” he said.
The Bank collects food grains from individuals who donate a handful of grains a day in special containers given to them, said Kishan Jain, former president of the Food Bank.
The Food Bank mobilises more than 9,000 kg of grains every month. Then the grains are cleaned and repacked for free distribution to beneficiaries.
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Distribution to NGOs
S.P.Srinivasan, of the Ramakrishna Mission Students Home, said the home received 500 kg of grains a month. Grains are also being distributed to NGOs working for animal welfare. An animal shelter, ‘People for Animals,' has been adopted for distribution of six tones of food grains annually, according to Rajendra Mootha, one of the organisers.