Sanjhi Rasoi yet to resume feeding the poor, awaits admn nod

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 4

While normalcy has returned in almost every sphere since the coronavirus outbreak, a subsidised meal scheme — Sanjhi Rasoi — started by the state government in 2017 has not yet been restored in Jalandhar.

While a banner in the name of Dhan Guru Ramdas Langar Sewa still hangs outside the community kitchen set up on the premises of Jalandhar Civil Hospital, the space continues be used by the hospital for Covid testing.

A few months after the Congress government came to power, it had started Sanjhi Rasoi scheme with the aid of the district administration, Red Cross society, an NGO and local industrialists and philanthropists. The scheme was started on May 16, 2017. Initially, a tie-up was made with NGO An-Jal Society and a nutritious meal only at lunch time was served to the poor for Rs10.

Initially there were some glitches, but slowly city residents also got associated for the cause, as they had begun sponsoring a day’s meal to celebrate their birthday, marriage anniversary and in remembrance of their deceased family members.

However, later in February 2019, the scheme was further extended making three meals available from 7 am to 7 pm daily that, too, free of cost. Based at Pur-Hiran village of Hoshiarpur, Dhan Guru Ramdas Langar Sewa came forward to handle free meals for the poor running the kitchen continuously for 12 hours a day. The poor here got tea, biscuits, rusks, buns or porridge in breakfast, rice or chapati, along with vegetable or pulses in lunch and chapati or rice with vegetables for dinner. The free service was available for all seven days.

However, due to corona outbreak, the administration got the meal scheme disbanded to avoid further spread of the disease through a common kitchen.

However, Buta Singh, who works for the langar sewa in Hoshiarpur, said: “We are continuing to serve the poor through our own mobile langar system. We are sending our vehicles to 32 hospitals from Ropar to Amritsar with free langar delivery. We are also sending langar vans to bus stands, railway stations across Punjab, including Jalandhar, as these areas have high footfall of the poorer lot. We would like to resume langar sewa at the Civil Hospital, too, whenever the administration wants us to return.”

About the scheme

• Sanjhi Rasoi was started by the state government on May 16, 2017, with the help of district administration, Red Cross society, an NGO and local industrialists and philanthropists
• Initially, a tie-up was made with NGO An-Jal Society and a nutritious meal only at lunch time was served to the poor on paying Rs10
• There were some teething troubles, but slowly residents started associating with the cause and sponsoring meals
• In February 2019, the scheme was extended making three meals available from 7 am to 7 pm daily that, too, free
• Dhan Guru Ramdas Langar Sewa came forward to handle free meals for the poor and ran the kitchen continuously for 12 hours a day for all seven days
• The administration got the meal scheme disbanded due to Covid outbreak to check further spread through common kitchen