Chandigarh, May 13 (IANS): Beginning Friday, underprivileged Covid-19 patients living in Punjab can call up helpline numbers 181 and 112 for delivery of free cooked meals at their doorsteps through the Punjab Police Department.

The humanitarian initiative was announced at the Cabinet meeting by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who declared that "we will not anyone sleep hungry in Punjab".

Such patients can call on these numbers any time of the day or night, and will be provided cooked food at their homes by the Police Department, through Covid kitchens and delivery boys.

The department is tying up with such kitchens and delivery agents for this purpose, DGP Dinkar Gupta said, expressing pride at the initiative taken by Punjab Police for ensuring food for the poor Covid patients in the state.

As part of the facility, which will become operational from 10 am from Friday, poor patients living anywhere in the state and lacking access to food can dial 181 or call 112 at any time of day or night, on 24 by 7 basis, for delivery of cooked meals at their doorsteps.

During the first wave of the pandemic, too, the Punjab Police had converted its 112 emergency helpline into a 'Hunger Helpline'. The department had, in active collaboration with NGOs, gurudwaras, mandirs, and other religious institutions, successfully served over 12 crore cooked meals and dry rations to the people of Punjab in April-June last year.