Ration is in abundance, public need not panic: Visakhapatnam Joint Collector

Visakhapatnam Joint Collector L Siva Sankar (IAS) inspected the ration depots at Seethammadhara, PM Palem, and Bakkannapalem on Tuesday. He visited the depots to inspect whether rations are being supplied adequately to citizens. Further, he directed the ration shop workers to follow best practices while issuing tokens and supplying groceries to the citizens. He interacted with the locals and ensured they practised social distancing norms while collecting their quota of rations.

Addressing rumours that stocks are in limited supply, the Joint Collector said that the supply of rations will continue everyday for the next fifteen days at least, and that the stocks are in abundance. He asked the citizens not to believe rumours and throng the ration shops in panic.

Mr Shankar appealed to citizens to carry umbrellas and drinking water with them while stepping out. Using an umbrella would not just give a respite against the heat, but would also ensure physical distance, said the JC.

About Senior Citizens:

Joint Collector Siva Sankar advised youngsters or middle-aged people from a family to step outside and collect their rations. This is keeping in mind the rising temperatures said the officer. In the event that a citizen above 55 years comes to collect groceries out of compulsion, the volunteers and other staff at the ration depot have been instructed to supply their groceries first, so that they wouldn’t have to endure the heat in long queues.

This comes after an elderly woman lost her life in Visakhapatnam due to the heat when she stepped out of her home to collect ration. She fell unconscious and was pronounced dead on Monday. The victim was a resident of Dwaraka Nagar in Chodavaram mandal.