New Delhi, May 16 (IANS): Politicians, businessmen, a female commercial pilot and others joined hands to ensure dignity in death for Covid patients from the posh Sainik Farm area in South Delhi to the holy city of Ayodhya, by arranging their last rites.

Over two dozen people like businessman Vikram Mittal, commercial pilot Richa Sood, President Chandni Chowk Cloth Market association Gopal Garg, Delhi BJP Vice President Virender Sachdeva and others joined hands under "Covid Action Group" led by former Delhi BJP Chief Satish Upadhyay to serve the people in need at difficult time.

"It is a completely non-political group with a sole purpose to serve people," Upadhyay said.

The group started serving two-times food to Covid patients in Greater Kailash and other posh colonies of South Delhi has now ensured dignity in death to infected patients who are either disowned by their family or living alone in the city.

Upadhyay shared that in the last few weeks the group has ensured last rites of over 130 people in the national capital and 30 in Ayodhya.

"When it came to our team's notice that family members or relatives have disowned the person who died of Covid, we decided to conduct last rites of all those who are either leaving alone or left by family in death. We are also ensuring last rites of the unidentified body," he said.

The group has ensured the last rites of half a dozen patients in affluent colonies like Sainik Farm, Hauz Khas, Green Park, Lajpat Nagar and Gol Market.

"First, we arranged an oxygen cylinder for an 80-year-old woman living alone in the Sainik Farm area. When she died, no one came forward to conduct her last rites. Her family members living abroad failed to come back on time and neighbours and relatives refused to do the last rites. To ensure that she gets dignity in her death, we conducted her cremation," Mittal said.

The group has also sent wood and other support to cremation grounds in Ayodhya.

"We learnt that the cremation ground in Ayodhya is facing difficulties, our team has delivered 125 tons of wood to carry out cremation. We are also conducting last rites of people there," Upadhyay said.

Sharing detailed plans for the coming days, the former Delhi BJP Chief said that in the next couple of days they will start helping people in Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh.

"More and more cases are reported from rural areas, so we decided to serve the people in the rural part of Uttar Pradesh.

Our team is sending supplies of 14 essential items to Ayodhya and Bhadohi, where we have non political volunteers to help the people," Upadhyay said.

Mittal explained that starting from serving to Covid patients now they are helping people from arranging medicines, oxygens, hospital admission, doctors consultation and dry rations.

"In last three weeks, we have served two time meal to around 15,000 Covid patients. Today we served food to 500 Covid patients and the biggest kitchen is managed by Rajiv Kohli and Vijender Dhama in Mayur Vihar which served food to over 200 people," Mittal said.