Ex-councillor delivers free veggies to Pammal residents

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:5.4.2020

A former ward councillor in suburban Pammal has decided to deliver vegetables for free at the doorsteps of people in the area to ensure they do not venture out. With five positive cases reported in the Pammal municipality limits, the AIADMK functionary’s gesture has gone down well with the public.

B Venkatesan, who served as vice-chairman of Pammal municipality, will distribute vegetable kits after buying them from the municipality that had coordinated with vendors to distribute the kits, each priced at ₹100. There are 75,790 residents in the municipality limits and about 165 people under home quarantine, officials said. “The municipality staff are overburdened. Sanitary workers are always on the street. So, I decided something had to be done and took it upon myself to ensure residents do not come out to buy vegetables,” said Venkatesan.

Aware that his gesture might be politicised, Venkatesn refrained from distributing the kits to wards that are DMK strongholds. “It is not that people will not be welcoming. In these times, everyone has to work together. From Monday, I will start distributing the vegetable kits to all wards in Pammal Municipality,” Venkatesan said.

However, his gesture has not gone down well with people in his household. “I am aware of the scare and have taken all necessary precautions andusesanitizers frequently,” Venkatesan said, adding in jestthat peoplein the household have become tired of counseling him. The AIADMK functionary also expressed displeasure with the public attitude to the lockdown and called for more discipline.

B Venkatesan is a former vice-chairman of Pammal municipality