On Day 200, chicken, rice served at Bengal’s longest-running community kitchen set up amid Covid-19

Running since April, West Bengal’s first group kitchen arrange through the Covid-19 pandemic entered its 200th day on Sunday with not simply younger CPI(M) employees, who run it, however members of the civil society and movie business participating in a small celebration. It is the state’s longest-running group kitchen.

Some CPI(M) members opened the kitchen at Jadavpur in south Kolkata to supply free cooked lunch to poor folks. It turned so in style that round a thousand folks visited it day by day on the peak of the lockdown. It bought the title ‘Shramajibi Canteen’ (canteen of the working class).

Impressed by the turnout, the social gathering determined to work out a viable mannequin. After the lockdown ended, the kitchen began providing cooked meals at Rs 20 a packet which incorporates 2-Three gadgets corresponding to rooster, egg, fish or paneer curry apart from rice. On some days folks get sweets.

Incidentally, Sudip Sengupta, the CPI(M) Kolkata district committee member who conceived the concept and has been operating the kitchen, examined positive for Covid-19 a couple of days in the past and is now in hospital.

“The kitchen has proved that people can achieve something as long as they work as one towards a goal,” Sengupta wrote on his social media web page. The kitchen has a web page as nicely.

Film director Anik Dutta, actor Badshah Moitra had been amongst CPI(M) leaders, corresponding to state secretary Suryakanta Mishra, who took half in a small procession that the volunteers took out at Jadavpur. Video messages had been despatched by many eminent folks together with Srijit Mukherjee, director of profitable motion pictures corresponding to Gumnaami.

The group kitchen has now turn into a mannequin of types. Thousands of individuals get their meals both free or for Rs 20 from greater than 20 kitchens in north and south Bengal districts, stated Sengupta. At a few of these kitchens, the value is lower than Rs 20, he added. The CPI(M) employees, nonetheless, don’t use the phrase value. They say it’s ‘anudaan’ (contribution).

It is a takeaway service solely. A specified variety of poor persons are served free. The kitchens have supplied everlasting employment to the cooks and different workers.

The each day price of operating the kitchens fluctuate between Rs 10,000 and 20,000 (on days when rooster and desserts are served) and the cash comes fully from donations, stated Sengupta.

The sale proceeds don’t cowl the price on all days however the kitchens have labored out to be a profitable attain out programme of the CPI(M), social gathering leaders really feel.

Impressed by the service, many eminent folks corresponding to medical doctors, actors, singers have been celebrating their birthdays or anniversaries by donating cash for the meals and bodily serving the packets.