Hyderabadi’s develop app to deliver free ration

Hyderabad: Amid lockdown many families are suffering due to financial problems. With some losing their jobs and others stuck without being able to go to their houses are finding it difficult to even buy groceries for their family. To help these needy people a Hyderabad based NGO has launched an app to deliver free ration.

Social Data Initiatives Forum (SDIF) founded by Azam Khan and Khalid Saifullah have launched the ‘free ration app’ which can be downloaded for free from Google Play Store.

Explaining about the app, Mr Saifullah said, “Anybody can download and register themselves in the app. We will check if the entry is genuine through our volunteers across India. Then the NGO will transfer Rs.600 to the ration shop via online transfer and the needy can take the ration for free.”

“If a person living abroad wants us to deliver ration to anyone stuck at home and is unable to go out to get food items, they can register on behalf of them. We will check the location and do the needful,” Mr Saifullah said explaining the functioning of the app.

The NGO provides ration for a week which includes rice, dal, aata, oil, sugar, tea powder, salt, tamarind and soaps as mentioned on their website.

People who don’t have smart phones can also apply for free ration by calling on the toll free number, 9606046818. The volunteers then call back and take details of their location and number of members in the family to provide them ration.

“If around 30 to 40 migrant workers are stuck we ask four to five people to register on the app and then the ration is delivered to them accordingly. Delivering the same needy person for the second time depends on donations that we receive,” said Mr Saifullah.

As of today through the app SDIF has helped around 1800 needy families throughout India and in a day receives around 300 calls. Mr Saifullah said they hope to continue the service until the lockdown is lifted.

He had earlier developed apps to identify missing voters to help them find their name in the National Registry of Citizens (NRC).