Coronavirus | Berhampur youth clubs identify and help the poorest

550 extremely vulnerable families, who are not included in any govt. scheme, are provided with food baskets

April 14, 2020 08:21 pm | Updated 08:21 pm IST - BERHAMPUR

Youth clubs in 32 slums in Odisha’s Behampur, united under the Youth for Social Development (YSD) group, have been able to identify 550 extreme poor families who have not been included in any pro-poor scheme of the government. Their extreme plight due to the loss of earnings during the coronavirus lockdown led to the effort. YSD, with the support of OXFAM-India, has started distributing food baskets containing 25 kg rice, 3 kg pulses, 1 litre edible oil, 2 kg soyabean and 1 kg salt to each of these 550 families.

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According to Bibhu Prasad Sahu, director of YSD, they plan to identify around 3,000 similarly left out poor families in three revenue blocks of the Ganjam district for the provision of basic needs during the lockdown.

List prepared

The list was prepared in coordination with the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) and Ganjam district administration, without physical movement by members of the youth clubs, entirely over phone calls and WhatsApp.

YSD had promoted youth clubs in 32 major slums of Berhampur for unity among youngsters for sanitation, local development and other social issues.

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The families in this list are mostly daily wage earning labourers, domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, roadside vendors, and the destitute. Some leprosy patients not receiving government benefits are also included.

Left out of the BPL (Below Povert Line) list, none of them has National Food Security Cards. The identified labourers are not registered with the Labour Department, the identified street vendors are not in the city’s urban street vendors list.

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YSD members are also keeping track of the health conditions in these families, and educating them on preventive measures to deal remain safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

K. Indira of the Anadrigram slum of BeMC’s Ward Number 1, who begged for a living along with her husband, was in tears when she received a food basket from YSD volunteers.

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