Daijiworld Media Network - Hebri (MS/HB)

Hebri, May 3: The whole country is under lockdown and many poor labourers are struggling to get even one square meal. At the same time, many stories of philanthropists coming to the help of such people are being heard.

In a particular village in the district, the government's help has not reached the residents, with the local gram panchayat having donated food kits to just four families. People are tired of calling the people's representative. Out of frustration and hunger, the villagers recently knocked at the doors of a member of the gram panchayat.

The gram panchayat member too had requested the officials concerned several times to help the poor and hungry villagers. But when he came to know that the officials were not doing the needful, he took the initiative to help them himself, and distributed 200 food kits to the villagers of his ward from his own money. He had borrowed the amount from a bank to get his house repaired, but seeing that his fellow-villagers were in urgent need of help, he decided to use the money for their welfare.

Dinesh Shetty, member of Chara gram panchayat near Hebri in the district, is the Good Samaritan, who came to the rescue of the hungry villagers. He first provided food kits to people of the Gandhinagar ward of his panchayat. But when more people sought help, he took loan from others and provided the villagers with groceries.

Chara in Hebri taluk has been neglected by people’s representatives. The village does not even have basic infrastructure. The scheduled caste and scheduled tribe people living in this village find it difficult to afford even a single day's meal as they are unemployed.

The villagers have urged the deputy commissioner to look after their plight and provide them with essential groceries to survive during lockdown.

"The food kits provided by the government were not at all sufficient. When I received complaints from the public that they do not have essential items to prepare food, I used the loan amount taken from bank to repair my house to satiate their hunger. I am happy that I could be of some help to people in need. Some donors have also pitched in. The government also has to reciprocate to the needs of people during this critical time," said Dinesh Shetty.