While the whole world has uphill task to fight the rapidly increasing novel coronavirus and many poor are facing livelihood crisis due the ongoing lockdown, a village in Mizoram has set an example in helping the needy amid lockdown.
Residents of Vahai village in south Mizoram’s Siaha district are helping each others to avoid starvation during the nationwide lockdown.
Mizoram food, civil supplies and consumer affairs director Lalhriatzuali Ralte said that Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries shared their free ration (quota) with the needy.
She said that household families especially those having more than 5 members refused to take their whole share of quota and donated 50 to 60 kgs of rice each to village level task force, which distributed them to not only the poor but those who did not avail the benefit as well as APL card holders.
Members of Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) K. Chhaubei told this correspondent that the villagers donated over 5 quintal of rice for the needy from their free share.
The stellar act of generosity by Vahai villagers amid lockdown has been praised by officials and netizens.
Vahai is a medium size village located in Tuipang Block of Saiha district housing more than 170 families. It has a population of more than 1000 and majority of the residents are agriculturalist.
The village is located about 100 km from the district headquarters-Siaha and 400 km from the state capital Aizawl.
Free ration is being currently distributed to AAY and PHH beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme across Mizoram for April and May.
According to officials of supply department, there are 1, 29,410 PHH card holders and 25,995 AAY card holders in the state to avail the benefit.
The Centre has allocated 10,023.22 metric ton of rice to Mizoram to be distributed to the beneficiaries during lockdown.