Kozhikode, 19 July (H.S.):

The BJP has criticised the Kerala government's proposal to channel all free food distribution in government hospitals exclusively through community kitchens, with senior party leader K. Surendran questioning the rationale behind restricting the role of voluntary and youth organisations in providing meals to patients and their attendants.

The controversy erupted after Health Minister K. Muraleedharan announced that free meals in government hospitals would, in future, be distributed only through the community kitchen system. The government has argued that the move is intended to ensure food quality, hygiene and accountability in public healthcare institutions.

Responding to the announcement, Surendran, who is the former staye president of the BJP said he was unable to understand why the new government was preventing charitable organisations and youth groups from distributing food packets in hospitals. He maintained that such initiatives have long been driven by humanitarian concerns and should not be viewed through a political lens.

In a Facebook post, the BJP leader dismissed any suggestion that the distribution of free meals was politically motivated. If everyone who received a packed meal had voted for those who provided it, many leaders, including Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, would never have entered the Assembly, he remarked.

Surendran said authorities should know the identity of those supplying food so that accountability can be fixed in case of hygiene or food safety issues. He added that those distributing food also have a responsibility to ensure it is safe for consumption.

He also questioned the government's reliance on the community kitchen model, claiming that similar initiatives had failed during the Covid-19 pandemic. He urged the Health Department to reconsider the decision.

The announcement has sparked a political debate, with the opposition alleging that the move discourages voluntary service, while the government maintains it is intended to ensure uniform standards of hygiene, safety and accountability.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman