Covid measures: West Bengal govt to reach out to the needy

The West Bengal government said it will supply food and other essential commodities to the financially weaker sections of people in the state who have been affected by Covid-19 in the third wave of the pandemic.

Chief secretary HK Dwivedi wrote a letter to the district magistrates, directing them to deliver packaged food and other necessary items daily to those who cannot afford to pay for the goods. The district administration is likely to deploy police personnel for the delivery of the packages to the people.

The government's decision comes at a time when Covid-19 cases are increasing in districts including Kolkata, Howrah, Paschim Bardhaman, South and North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Malda, Bankura, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. In Kolkata and Howrah districts, the Covid positivity rate is very high.


The food items to be supplied to the people will include rice, puffed rice, pulses and biscuits, along with sanitiser and masks, which will be made available in the delivery packet.

District administrations have been directed to prepare a tentative list of the beneficiaries and send the details to the state government. The number of beneficiaries will keep changing as the number of affected people is changing every day. Many people testing positive have mild symptoms and are in home isolation. Therefore, the home delivery scheme will help a large number of people from the weaker sections of society, said officials.

The local police has also been directed to reach out to the common people, keep track of their health, create awareness campaigns and send reports to the district administration.