Pani puri is no doubt the most popular snack and evening pastime in the country. With the 21-day lockdown, close to 50 families of pani puri vendors in Anantapur city are unable to make ends meet.
Bhanwarlal from Rajasthan, who lives in Rahmath Nagar with his wife and two children, led a contented life till March 24 selling the snack outside Janmabhoomi Park here and making ₹1,800 to ₹2,000 a day. “I used to save at least ₹350 to ₹400 a day after all expenses, but after the lockdown am unable to find money even for regular groceries,” Mr. Bhanwarlal told The Hindu.
A neighbour, who saw the pathetic condition of the family, spread the word in the neighbourhood, and within no time the BPL families collected some rice and other items from each house and forcibly kept them in their kitchen. Mr. Bhanwarlal and his wife felt it below their dignity to seek help from others and thought it right to remain without food for a day.
Though the family has been living here for the past six years, their ration card and Aadhaar card have Rajasthan address, which has deprived them of many benefits, which they might not have anticipated when the business was running well.
Meanwhile, when MEPMA Project Director P. Vijayalakshmi was informed about the incident, she immediately sent her staff to find out the requirement of more such people in the same business and residing in the town. The State government was providing groceries though someone does not have a ration card, she observed.
