Gurdwaras extend a helping hand to health workers

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee on Thursday decided to make available its inns to health workers who are in the front line of the fight against the coronavirus.

Several Delhi-based hospitals like Ram Manohar Lohia (RML), Safdarjung Hospital, AIIMS Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital had requested the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee to provide shelter to the doctors.

"We are handing over our inns to the State government where the doctors and nurses will be allowed to stay. Food and other facilities will be provided to them. The hospitals will decide who can stay in these inns," Manjinder Singh Sirsa, president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee told ANI.

The inns include Mata Sahib Kaur Yatri Niwas, Gurudwara Moti Bagh; Sri Guru Arjan Dev Niwas, Rakabganj Gurudwara; and Bangla Saheb Gurudwara among others.

Apart from this, the Gurdwara Management Committee has started preparing food (langar) for lakhs of people at different places at the behest of the Delhi government.

The food will be provided to the State government which will then distribute it to the needy people.

"Delhi citizens have to combat COVID-19. First, we used to hold langar at Gurudwaras but now that the requirement has increased, we have opened temporary food shelters outside the Gurudwaras as well in a college situated in Rajouri Garden. The other food shelter is in Loni Road," said Sirsa.

"We are working according to the State government's requirements. Local SDMs send us a list of their requirements. We are preparing food packets for one lakh people here," he added.

Speaking to ANI, Rajender Singh, Administrator, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee said, "New beds have been arranged in this inn (Moti Bagh). We are ready to welcome the doctors here. As many as 38 rooms are available here for them.