After getting SOS from Arunachal Pradesh, Pune Police provide food packets to 150 students from Northeast states
Pune, April 19, 2020: Due to lockdown after Coronavirus outbreak, many students and workers from Arunachal Pradesh and other states in Northeast India, who are living in Pune, had run out of food. After getting SOS message from an Arunachal Pradesh IAS officer, Pune City Police Jt CP Ravindra Shisve immediately sent food packets and ration kits to about 150 students.
Most of them are students of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and other educational institutes, as well as workers of various establishments. Due to lockdown, they were on the verge of starvation when they approached the Arunachal Pradesh government. IAS officer Prashant Lokhande contacted Jt CP Shisve and informed him of the problem. The police officer took this issue seriously and contacted students and workers whose details were sent by Lokhande.
With the help of social policing cell of Pune police, 94 students and other workers from Northeast states were provided food packets and ration kits. “IAS officer Prashant Lokhande is my batchmate. He told me about the problems of students from northeast India and Arunachal Pradesh. We immediately provided food and ration to these students”, Jt CP Shisve said.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, “I would like to thank Dr Ravindra Shisve IPS Jt. CP Pune for providing timely help to more than 90 students from Arunachal Pradesh studying in Pune through essential supplies and ration during this time of crisis due to COVID19.”
Contact Social Policing Cell of Pune Police for Food
To ensure smooth delivery and functioning of food services, Commissioner of Police Dr K Venkatesham has launched ‘Social Policing Cell’ to centralize the food collection and distribution system under the 30 police stations and traffic divisions in the city. Many police stations and traffic divisions with the help of social organisations and donors have distributed about 6 lakh food packets among the needy.
The Social Policing Cell is being supervised by Additional Commissioner of Police (West region) Sanjay Shinde, Crime Branch DCP Bachchan Singh and ACP Vijay Choudhary. The cell comprises Traffic Branch Police Inspector Prakash Khandekar, Control Room Police Inspector Sunil Dorge, Police Sub Inspector Santosh Sonawane besides 20 constables from the Traffic Branch. At the police station level, the officers and constables of the crime detection branch (DB), who know the geography of their police station like back of their palms, will work with the social policing cell.
ACP Choudhary said that many people are eager to help while there some who need help, all these people can contact Social Policing Cell on phone number 8806806308. People can either call or send WhatsApp message on this number between 10 am to 4 pm. After that interested people can contact the Detection Branch at their local police station.
