A group of villagers in Nadia’s Phulia has been selling to residents at subsidised rates vegetables, groceries, medicines and other essentials after procuring them from the wholesale market.

The move is aimed at preventing crowding at the local market and also to insulate the poor from the crushing economic impact of the coronavirus-induced lockdown. As many as 380 families of Purba Natun Buincha School Para have been receiving the service.

Those who have come up with the plan have formed a committee, and teams having four members each take turns to procure daily essentials for the families from the wholesale markets. For the past three weeks, they have been collecting the list of necessities from each family and the materials are supplied the next morning.

The villagers have to collect the items from a makeshift market in the village every day at 10am, by queuing up in keeping with social-distancing norms. The items are sold at a subsidised rate.

Cotton-yarn trader Joydeb Basak, said: “To ensure that villagers do not crowd the market, the committee decided that four members will procure the essentials and sell them at the school (where the makeshift market has come up).”

“All have realised the importance of social distancing and agreed to abide by the decision,” Basak added. “We bring all sorts of vegetables, fruits, rice, lentils, wheat flour, egg, milk and grocery items but do not sell fish and meat.”

Committee member and timber merchant Harekrishna Roy said: “We have also distributed seven quintals of rice free of cost among the villagers. As many of our neighbours have no job because of the lockdown, this is an attempt to help them.”

A villager, who works as a weaver, said: “The initiative has ensured our safety from the disease and helped people like us to buy essentials at a cheaper rate.”

A senior officer of the Nadia district administration said: “Such community awareness will help combat Covid-19.”