Several women came out on the streets of Gandhinagar in Mysuru on Wednesday alleging discrimination in the free distribution of milk and other ration to the poor.
More than 50 to 60 women had gathered to complain that they had not been given the milk and ration that had been distributed to other areas of ward number 27 of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).
They said they were forced to violate the lockdown rules as their families were in dire straits. “All of us here are daily wagers and can eat only if we work. Many are housemaids, whose owners have barred them from coming to work”, said a woman.
The protesters accused the local authorities of discriminating against them on political grounds. “When people of the other areas are receiving milk provided by the government free of cost every day, it has not been distributed in our area. The corporator has not visited our area even once”, they alleged.
Corporator clarifies
Meanwhile, responding to the allegations, the local JD(S) corporator Rafeeq said he had identified the poor in his ward and distributed ration to them out of his own funds without any discrimination. He clarified that he had no role in the distribution of milk or ration provided by the government or the MCC. “Officials of the Food Department are responsible for distribution of ration. The MCC has not given me anything for distribution among the poor of the ward”, he clarified.
