Going against the true spirit of the free meals supply to the poor under the hunger-free city project, some individuals and organisations have been found misusing images and videos of the project for personal brand building and business promotion activities. Incidents of money being collected from the public by unidentified volunteers in the name of supplying meals to patients are also on the rise in Kozhikode.
“We have come across some individual sponsors who find charity as a ticket to secure easy entry to various government hospitals. There have been many occasions when these sponsors tried to have photo sessions with officials in key positions and later circulated it on social media for their personal promotional activities,” said a police officer who was part of the ‘Akshayapatra’ free meals supply project in Kozhikode city.
A palliative care volunteer associated with the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, said food sponsorship was one of the easiest options for some individuals and organisations to enjoy free entry to the government facility and create an impression that they were closely associated with the concerns of the poor patients. There should be regulations to streamline such charity activities and avoid chances of exploitations, he said.
