Dabbawalas urge Maha govt to permit them local train travel

    Mumbai, Sep 12 (PTI) Mumbai's dabbawalas or lunch-box
carriers have urged the Maharashtra government to permit them
to travel in local trains, which are currently running in a
restricted manner in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, an
official said on Saturday.
    Access to local trains will enable dabbawalas to
resume their business with full capacity, said Subhash
Talekar, president of Mumbai Dabbawala Association.
    At present, only people employed in essential services
are allowed to travel in suburban trains.
    "Dabbawalas are also part of essential services are
they deliver food to Mumbaikars. And since most officers are
now functioning with reduced capacity, people have been asking
us to deliver their meals," Talekar said.
     Currently, dabbawalas who can reach south Mumbai area
on their cycles are able to deliver food to offices, he said,
adding that meals are being delivered in keeping with all
COVID-19 safety norms.
    "We have been demanding financial assistance of Rs
5,000 per dabbawala from the state government, similar to what
the construction workers had received," Talekar said, adding
that the proposal was discussed in the state cabinet and was
still on paper.
    There are about 4,500 to 5,000 dabbawalas who deliver
two lakh tiffins every day from suburban areas to the heart of
the city.
     "Never before in the 130-year-old history of the
tiffin services, has there been a six-month break. We ensure
that office-goers get their meals on time and take the empty
lunch boxes back to their homes," he said.
     In the last six months, social organisations and
volunteers have supported the association financially, because
of which dabbawalas, who have been out of work, were given
money and essentials during the lockdown period, he added. PTI
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)