Hyderabad: HR executive starts 'Rice ATM' initiative, hopes 'no one goes to bed hungry'

A Hyderabad based HR executive Dosapati Ramu started a 'rice ATM' to provide food for the poor and needy people amid the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 outbreak. Before the lockdown, Ramu and his friends distributed packets of cooked foods to about 150 people, mainly migrant labourers, every day. After the restrictions were eased by the government, he started a 'Rice ATM' initiative to provide groceries to the needy and poor. 

Hyderabad Man starts 'Rice ATM'

Inspired by a security guard who used her salary of Rs 6,000 to buy 20 kgs of chicken to feed labourers, Dosapati Ramu started this initiative. The HR executive from Hyderabad says that he aims to help those who have no work and no money amid COVID-19 pandemic. "During the lockdown, I along with a few of my friends started serving cooked food to nearly 150 migrant labours and after the lockdown has been lifted, I initiated this 'Rice ATM' and started to distribute groceries to the needy and poor round-the-clock every day," said Ramu.

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Speaking about his plans to discontinue his initiative, Ramu said that he did think about it in June when the lockdown was lifted and trains were started but he changed his mind after realising that the lack of work has left the labourers with no way to fill their stomachs. Ramu also added that they not only provide food but also try to help labourers find work to ensure that they can earn something. Under his 'Rice ATM' initiative, Ramu has been providing ration not only to daily wage workers but also to senior citizens, COVID-19 patients as well as pregnant and single women.

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Speaking about his initiative, Ramu said, "We then started giving groceries to the needy people. We have been providing the groceries for the last 172 days. Some days the count of the people who visit to take groceries maybe only 20 to 30 but some days it might reach 150 to 200 people. We don't know how they came to know about this but the message that a guy is providing ration to the poor spread like wildfire and people reach me every day seeking help."

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"We distribute 15 days' kit to pregnant women and single women to help them feed themselves and their families and then we distribute five days' kit to labourers," he added. 

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Recalling an incident, Ramu said that there was a time when he was approached by the school teachers as they were not being paid by the school management amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We distributed monthly groceries to nearly about 750 teachers last month," he said while adding that he only hope and wish is that no one should die of hunger or go to bed on an empty stomach. "I wish for a day when I come out of the house and see no one asking me for help. This corona pandemic must end soon," said Dosapati Ramu.

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(With inputs from ANI)