RAJSHAHI, June 2, 2020 (BSS) – Some 8,000 members of 30 more professional organizations were given 41,280 kilograms of rice to mitigate their hardships being caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The daily wage earning and other hand-to-mouth members, who have been affected badly by the pandemic, were given five kilograms of rice each on Monday afternoon.
Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) provided the foodstuffs as the gift of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and as a part of the government’s instant humanitarian support to relieve the livelihood related hardship.
City Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton formally distributed the rice on the City Bhaban premises as chief guest, saying such type of humanitarian assistance will continue to cope with the troubled situation until its end.
RCC Ward Councilors Kamal Hossain, Abdul Momin, Anwar Hossain, Shahidul Islam and Towhidul Haque, Chief Executive Officer Dr Sharif Uddin and Secretary Abu Hayat Rahmatullah were present on the occasion.
Earlier on April 28 and 29 and May 11 last, another 13,086 members of 50 professional bodies were given 76,000 kilograms of rice to lessen their livelihood related hardship.
Mayor Liton also said the present government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to ensure food security to the jobless people amidst the present troubled time.
He said there is no crisis of food as the government has sufficient stock and urged the recipients not to be panicked in this regard.
As part of the government’s instant humanitarian assistance, the RCC has, so far, disbursed 378 tonnes of rice, five tonnes of flour, 64 tonnes of pulse, 67 tonnes of potato, 2,000 packets of baby food, 350 tonnes of seasonal vegetables and 3,950 packets of cooked foods benefiting around 1.40 lakh jobless and distressed families in the city.
Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said 7,400 households were given foodstuffs as the gift of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina very recently.
With initiative and support of the city’s 45,000 affluent families, the city corporation distributed 223 tonnes of rice, 41 tonnes of pulse and 52 tonnes of potato among the families in need.
Besides, the city corporation dispensed 513 tonnes of rice among 62,500 hand-to-mouth families from the government allocation in all 30 wards of the city equally.
“We are distributing the relief materials among the affected families to tackle the present troubled situation,” Mayor Liton said, adding the assistance will continue until the troubled situation ends.