Knee-jerk reaction of north Indians over food delay in Vellore upsets Corpn officials

While the Indian Railways Construction and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been providing 1,400 meals from its Katpadi facility thrice a day since the lockdown, the Vellore corporation has been supplying 5400 meals equal number of times in a day to outsiders staying in lodges in the town for various reasons.

Because of the huge volume, cooking, packaging and transporting the meals sometimes results in a delay, a senior official said, adding, “During such situations, the visitors immediately call their relatives in their native states and complain that they are left without food. Their relatives, in a panic reaction, dial the control room there in that State.” “Control room officials immediately inform their higher-ups who alert their counterparts in Chennai. And the end result of this chain reaction is, we being pulled up for no reason or fault. These people do not seem to understand the voluminous effort behind mass cooking and packaging the food,” added the official.

When asked why they had not returned to their own states, sources attributed it to the high rates demanded by taxis. While the normal taxi charge for a two-day run to West Bengal would usually be around Rs 65,000, the lockdown and the resultant risk has resulted in drivers demanding upto Rs 1 lakh.

Besides, those in Vellore not wanting to shell out huge sums told officials, “Why should we go when you are giving us food daily? I can save the money sought for the fare for some other purpose.”