BMC comes up with SOP for distribution of donated food and grocery items during lockdown

Bhubaneswar, March 30: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come up with a standard operating procedure (SOP) for a distribution channel for donated food and grocery items received during the lockdown for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary has directed that Assistant Commissioner Lilan Prasad Sahu will be the nodal officer at the central level and three officers are designated as nodal officers in three zones of BMC for a smooth and effective impplementation of the SOP. As per the SOP donors, voluntary organisations and individuals intending to donate food items or groceries shall contact one day in advance to the BMC nodal offiocer about the details of the food or grocery items. The BMC nodal officer shall prepare a database by afternoon and contact with each zonal deputy commissioner (ZDC) about their realistic requirement. Accordingly, the donor will be intimated to supply the proposed food items or grocery at respective zones. As per the SOP the ZDCs are required to identify locations of homeless and persons with distress to whom cooked food will be distributed. The ZDC concerned shall preferably identify the slum areas who are in real need of these items due to their disadvantaged location or due to poor financial condition. The ZDCs shall take steps for the distribution of the same through the local ward officers with the active participation of Anganwadi Workers, ASHA Workers and the BLOs. While distributing the cooked food or grocery items the staff concerned shall have to strictly ensure social distancing guidelines and police assistance should be taken if needed. For the distribution of cooked food among the needy four vehicles of Aahar Programme will be utilised. One of the vehicles shall be stationed at BMC under the disposal of the BMC nodal officer and one each for the respective ZDCs. These vehicles should be requisitioned as per requirement. The SOP has also asked the ZDCs to hire up to two small goods carrier of Tata 207 type for the transportation of the donated food or grocery items to the area of distribution. Similarly, two numbers of such vehicles shall also be kept under the disposal of the BMC Nodal Officer for necessary transportation up to the zonal level. The ZDCs also have to identify suitable and safe rooms/facilities to store the food and grocery items received through donations.