SGPC extends helping hand, provides langar to needy

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 30

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has been providing langar to around 2 lakh needy persons every day so that they don’t sleep on empty stomach amid the curfew.

Gobind Singh Longowal, SGPC president, said 79 gurdwaras under the SGPC’s control was collaborating with the state and district administrations in providing the needy with food in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.

“Dal, rice, vegetable and chapattis are being served. The food is distributed in slum colonies and hospitals. Langar is also served to police personnel, who have been deployed to observe law and order amid curfew restrictions,” he said.

The kitchens at the Golden Temple and Gurdwara Shaheedan in Amritsar have been catering to more than 50,000 persons daily. The SGPC has deputed more than 100 staffers to prepare and distribute food.

“The SGPC has spared six vehicles for ferrying food to the needy,” Longowal said.

At Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, food for about 40,000 persons is prepared by 30 persons daily. Gurdwaras in Sangrur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Ropar, Gurdaspur, Barnala, Bathinda, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Batala, Kapurthala and Ferozepur are also chipping in.

In Haryana, six gurdwaras have been providing langar to 12,000 persons every day.

Punjabis from Gujarat stuck at border

• Abohar: Several Punjabis, who covered about 1,134-km distance from Bharuch in Gujarat in four days, are stranded in Sriganganagar
• As the district has been sealed due to fresh advisories on the lockdown, these Punjab residents were reportedly told to stay near the Sadhuwali barrier, about 33 km from here
• The administration is mulling their screening to ascertain their health condition
• Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Sewa Samiti volunteers provided them water and food, chief sevadar Tejinder Pal Singh Timma said. OC