Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali today flagged off the distribution of 2,500 ration kits that would be given to poor Muslim households in the state ahead of the Ramzan festival, which is likely to be celebrated on May 14.
The minister flagged off the Wakf Board-headed program from Nampally's Haj House.
Speaking on the occasion, Mahamood Ali said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had been "kind enough" to extend help to the economically disadvantaged members of all religions, and that the current program had been undertaken to help low-income Muslim households.
"The 2,500 ration kits, a sort of Ramzan present, are being distributed to help poor Muslim households through the challenging times of the ongoing pandemic. Each kit contains 10kg of rice, 5kg of wheat flour, 1 kg of sugar and 1 kg oil. We hope this will help the beneficiaries. Apart from the ration kits, the government will distribute free clothes to the economically disadvantaged Muslims at all the mosques in the state. Since Covid-19 has thrown up significant livelihood challenges, it is important that steps like this be taken to help the less fortunate. The ration distribution program one such meaningful way of marking the holy day of Ramzan," he explained.
The minister also spoke about the steps being taken by the TRS regime to "break the chain" of the spread of the disease, and said, "The TRS government has taken several measures to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus in the state. There is currently no need to impose a lockdown in Telangana. Our health sector has adequate supplies of medical oxygen, injections, beds, and other treatment facilities. Steps are also being taken to further improve medical infrastructure. So, it is important not to panic. Instead, we must all adhere to the Covid-19 safety and prevention guidelines to defeat the pandemic."
Like Mahmood Ali, many other officials, including Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, have maintained the state
does not need a lockdown at this point.