New Delhi, Amid the 21-day nationwide lockdown to combat Covid-19, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) good governance cell has distributed food to over 15,000 people living in shanties and slums of east Delhi in the last 10 days.

Virender Sachdeva, a member of the cell, has started a kitchen in Mayur Vihar phase 1 of east Delhi, from where he is providing food to the needy. "We start preparing food in morning. By 2 p.m, we start distributing food packets in shanties and slums," Sachdeva told IANS.

Besides, providing food packets, Sachdeva has also arranged packets with essential food items for over 2,000 people in the area.

"We started our kitchen on March 24, a day after (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi announced the lockdown. Since then we are preparing food for over 1500-1700 people everyday," the BJP leader said and added, they had been receiving information from other party leaders on Twitter and WhatsApp about the needy in different areas.

On items provided for meal to the people, he said, "In the initial days, we prepared rice, pulses and vegetables. But some people said everyone was supplying rice and pulses. So we changed the menu. Now we are providing bread pakoras or puri-sabji."

Sachdeva said he was providing meals to the poor twice a day. Even the kitchen operated by him was being used by the Sewa Bharti and the Delhi Police and local councillors to provide food in the other areas.

"If the Sewa Bharti and the Delhi Police need food packets for delivering to the needy, we prepare the food and supply them for the delivery," Sachdeva said.

After distributing the food, they start preparation for the next day. Also, the kitchen was cleaned and sanitised every day. "It takes us complete night to clean and sanitise the kitchen and arrange the items for preparing food for the next day," Sachdeva said.

He said on Friday BJP Vice-President and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe visited the kitchen and helped in preparing the food and also helped team members in preparing the food packets.

In the last 10 days, they had prepared and distributed over 15,000 food packets to the needy, he said. The kitchen would be run till April 14, he added.