If you thought you had it tough being under MCO, the poor in India are having it worse with many in dire straits after most of them having run out of cash and food stock. Its a case of if the coronavirus does not get them, hunger will.

The situation has prompted NGO’s asking the Indian government to release food stocks from its vast granaries if it wants to prevent massive hunger issues among its population. India has a population of 1.3 billion with a huge chunk still living below the poverty bracket.

There have been reports of people living in desperate conditions due to income loss as public activity remains suspended in India to control the spread of the coronavirus. India has large granaries stocked with food supply like grains used for emergency situation, nothing can be more dire that the pandemic.

Experts note that many workers have reached the limits of endurance without income or food and now depend on support from welfare or NGO’s distributing free food to feed their families. The nationwide lockdown was initially announced for 21 days from March 25, but it has been extended until May 3.

Former finance minister P. Chidambaram said free food can be provided to the poor from the Food Corporation of India’s grain stocks of 77 million tonnes.

“There is overwhelming evidence that more and more people have run out of cash and are forced to stand in lines to collect free cooked food,” Chidambaram told Indian media.