SSB unit in Faridabad feeds underprivileged children amid lockdown

A small unit of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Faridabad is providing special meals to the under underprivileged children amid the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, officials said on Wednesday. Officials of the force said while a number of organisations are running food camps for the poor and migrant workers across the country, their focus was on providing meals to the children during this crisis. Troops of this company, which has about 80-90 personnel, of the 25th battalion of the force are also bearing the full cost for a single public meal on special days like birthday of their children or anniversary of their elders.

"The idea emanated when our officer in-charge suggested an initiative of serving the community around us and sought voluntary cooperation. It was reciprocated heartily by the troops," Inspector Sandeep of the unit said. Apart from focussing on providing meals to underprivileged children, the personnel of this company have also been cooking and arranging meals for about 350 poor, migrants, labourers and those in need in the old Faridabad area every day.  This has been going on for over a fortnight now, a senior SSB officer said.

This work is giving us immense satisfaction, head constables Dinesh and Veer Singh say in unison. The unit is taking extra care of the children of the needy people as due to lockdown they are not able to make that occasional wish for their favourite dish, chocolates and cold drinks, the senior officer said.

The unit handed out chocolates, chips, cold drinks and cooked meals like maggie for the children who visit their camp or are travelling from Faridabad to other parts of the country, he said. The unit, he said, is informed by Faridabad (Haryana) district authorities about the next day's camp venue and the cooked food is brought in vehicles of the force and distributed by the personnel.

"On May 19, constable Dinesh Kumar bore the entire expenditure for these meals as it was his daughter's birthday. He could not meet her but he said by doing this noble deed, his daughter will earn a lot many blessings," an another official said. Till date, a number of personnel have taken upon themselves to foot the bill for providing one meal to about 350-400 people per day, with aid from funds made available by the unit from its civic action work allocation and contribution by senior officers, he said.

The unit has also linked up with a local hospital, Mehta Maternity and Dr Rakesh Mehta of Surya Ortho and Trauma Center, to provide basic healthcare facilities and physical, telephonic consultation to the people who come to this SSB camp, the second official quoted above said. The SSB is an about 80,000 personnel strong force that is tasked to guard Indian fronts with Nepal and Bhutan apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country.

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