Concerns raised over misuse of free meals initiatives
Going against the true spirit of the free meals supply to the poor under the hunger-free city project, some individuals and organisations have been found misusing images and videos of the project for personal brand building and business promotion activities. Incidents of money being collected from the public by unidenti ed volunteers in the name of supplying meals to patients are also on the rise in Kozhikode.
“We have come across some individual sponsors who nd charity as a ticket to secure easy entry to various government hospitals. There have been many occasions when these sponsors tried to have photo sessions with o¥cials in key positions and later circulated it on social media for their personal promotional activities,” said a police o¥cer who was part of the ‘Akshayapatra’ free meals supply project in Kozhikode city.
A palliative care volunteer associated with the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, said food sponsorship was one of the easiest options for some individuals and organisations to enjoy free entry to the government facility and create an impression that they were closely associated with the concerns of the poor patients. There should be regulations to streamline such charity activities and avoid chances of exploitations, he said.
Complaints have also come up against some social media groups which are allegedly involved in mobilising funds online using the images of free food supply initiatives in various areas. The circulation of such online fund requests, misusing the logo of established charity organisations, continues in the absence of an e§ective mechanism to curb it.
Political a¥liations of some of the charity organisations associated with the free meals supply schemes have also started creating di§erences. At the Government Women and Children Hospital, Kottaparamba, the supply of free meals by an organisation was recently stopped after a few people raised objections citing the model code of conduct. However, the organisation’s functionaries said the scheme had been operational for over 18 years, catering to patients irrespective of their religion or political a¥liation, and the incident would be challenged legally.