Kolkata NGO launches mobile roti-dispensing centres to feed the needy

Kolkata, Feb 14: There is no dearth of empty stomachs in India even when it is taking giant steps towards economic prosperity. Several thousand people still struggle to manage a square meal a day and a Kolkata-based NGO has come forward to make a valuable contribution towards allaying the hunger of the needy.

The initiative called 'Apni Roti' features a van that carries a roti-making machine that can produce an average of 1,000 rotis an hour and it serves the food to the needy, along with butter, pickles and sweets, absolutely free of cost.

The van moves around in the city to serve more and more hungry poor and Vikash Aggarwal, the man behind the noble mission, said they have plans to expand the same across the country.

In a video published in InUth, Aggarwal said the initiative has been launched recently and the hygiene is fully taken care of while making the rotis. Aggarwal said he has seen hotels also distributing food but that is stale and cold and he wanted to give the needy fresh food

There is also a WhatsApp Group called 'Apni Roti Squad' where the location of the roti-dispensing van is shared so that anybody wanting to volunteer can also chip in.

According to survey, nearly 196 million people in India go hungry every day while one in four children in the country's cities is malnourished.

Aggarwal said they received good feedback over the initiative and now aim to expand across the country.