COVID-19: CIL donates Rs 71 lakh to ISKCON, food for 3,500 people daily

Kolkata, Apr 9 () Coal India Limited on Thursdayextended a helping hand to ISKCON's Kolkata centre by donatingRs 71 lakh and sponsoring food for 3,500 people daily in thefight against COVID-19 pandemic.

The amount will be used to provide 6,000 affectedfamilies with ration packets consisting five kg rice, three kgpotatoes, one kg dal, one kg sugar, one kg salt and one soap,vice-president of ISKCON Kolkata centre Radharaman Das said.

The area covered till now is Sonagachi, Kalighat,Dakshineswar, Ramgarh, Lake Gardens, Ultadanga, Gouribari,Central, Park Circus, Raja Bazar and many other places in andaround Kolkata.

"In addition to this, they have also sponsored onetime food for 3,500 people daily till the lockdown period ofApril 14," Das said.

"The Kolkata Police is also helping ISKCON todistribute the food and the ration to difficult areas," hesaid.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has also partnered inISKCON-Kolkata's relief initiative by enabling them to feed10,000 people as the city centre is feeding more than 20,000daily.

On a pan-India basis, ISKCON is feeding more than fivelakh people daily with the help of their 19 kitchens, Dasclaimed.

"The ISKCON Kolkata is reaching all people indesperate need and the monks of ISKCON Kolkata are themselvescooking the food and also distributing it," Das said.

"Nobody from outside is allowed inside the ISKCONkitchen at Gurusaday road to avoid any type of contamination,"he added. TAPRG RG