The state government on Monday announced the activation of over 350 “khichdi” centres across the state to help the needy during the lockdown period till March 31 in view of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Informing about some of the steps that his government was taking to help the needy, chief minister Hemant Soren in a tweet said the beneficiaries of public distribution system (PDS) would be given two months’ ration and workers in the unorganised sector would get financial assistance.

He said a corona war room would function round-the-clock and asked people to seek help by calling helpline number 181 in case of emergency.

“The provision of ration and financial assistance to labourers would surely help save them from hunger,” said Asrafi Nand Prasad, state convener of Right to Food Campaign that had demanded three months’ ration to be given in advance.

“But we still feel three months’ ration would be more helpful as the ration for March is yet to be distributed and that for February is also due in certain areas,” he argued.

He said three months’ advance pension to the widows and the elderly and the payment of pending wages under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) would also help a lot in this situation, Prasad added.

Speaking to reporters at the Assembly complex, the chief minister said: “The government had to impose the lockdown as a precautionary measure to save lives.”

Urging people of the state to extend full cooperation, Hemant said: “We can fight coronavirus by checking the spread of infection with cooperation from everyone.”

He requested everyone to adhere to the lockdown guidelines and step out of their homes only when they needed to collect the essentials.

Meanwhile, the shutdown order is yet to sink in fully among the residents. People were seen gathering at grocery stores and markets to stock up on essential items, oblivious of the fact that, besides the lockdown, Section 144 was also in force prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons.

Many shops other than those exempted were also open, particularly in Upper Bazaar.

That prompted Kunal Ajmani, the president of Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries to make an appeal to the members to close shops and establishments other than those dealing in essential commodities.

Ajmani also reminded FJCCI members that black-marketing, overpricing and indulging in malpractices were against business ethics and any trader found guilty would face social boycott as well as stripping of their membership. Private vehicles were also seen plying normally in the city.

Migrant workers

A large number of migrant labourers reached Ranchi on Monday from states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu by the Alleppey-Dhanbad Express that originated on Saturday and was possibly the last train to reach the capital before train service resumes after March 31.

Many of those workers were found waiting for a vehicle at Khadgada bus depot to reach home in rural areas. “I was not paid for a month and was just given the train fare,” said Mahendra Ram who came from Chennai and was waiting to go to Hazaribagh.

additional inputs from PTI