The Tamil Nadu government has placed a ban on the distribution of cooked food, dry rations and other relief materials by volunteer organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The state government instead ordered all the willing parties to route their contributions through the government machinery.
The prohibition on independent organisations and volunteers from directly distributing the relief money and materials to the people came was effective from Sunday.
According to the government of Tamil Nadu, the prohibition was put in place to prevent unnecessary crowding in public places, which could accelerate the spread of the virus among the public. A statement from the state government also said that anybody found violating this order shall be treated as violating the prohibitory orders under section 144, which is in force in the state and shall be treated accordingly.
Slamming the state government, Tamil Nadu’s Leader of the Opposition and DMK chief MK Stalin said it is a betrayal by the current ruling dispensation to prevent others from helping the people. “We won’t do it (help people by providing relief materials) and we won’t let others do it either. It is a betrayal by this government,” he wrote on Twitter. Adding that the government can order to avoid crowding in public places, Stalin questioned how a government can order others to not help.
“When the people of Tamil Nadu come forward to wipe the tears of their brethren, it shall not be stopped by anyone. Prohibiting that, is dictatorship. A rule without kindness shall be gotten rid off,” he wrote, borrowing the words of Ramalinga Adigal, who is also known as Vallalaar.
#Lockdown காலத்தில் துயருறும் எளியவர்களின் பசி நீக்க, தமிழ் மக்களின் கரங்கள் நீளும்போது, அதைத் தடுக்க உத்தரவிட எவராலும் இயலாது; தானும் செய்யாது அடுத்தவர்களையும் தடுப்பது வஞ்சகம்!
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) April 12, 2020
இது ஜனநாயக நாடு; உதவி செய்யக் கூடாது என்பது சர்வாதிகாரத்தனம்!
'கருணையில்லா ஆட்சி கடிந்தொழிக!' pic.twitter.com/cVtaHrgvdl
Tamil Nadu has a total of 1,075 positive cases of novel coronavirus as of Sunday. Fifty people have been discharged from hospitals after recovery and there have been 11 deaths due to COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu till Sunday.