Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and its sister institution Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), moved by the compassionate vision of its Founder, Prof. Achyuta Samanta, have always responded swiftly to reduce the suffering of people at the time of natural calamities. Right from the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic last year, it has been doing its bit to reach out to the worst-affected, touching the lives of patients, stranded migrant workers, people living in containment areas and even starving animals. As the country, including the State of Odisha, is reeling under the tsunami of the second wave of the pandemic, KIIT and KISS have come forward again to provide relief to the needy.
Odisha, along with most other states of the country, has reimposed lockdown to tide over the crisis. During the lockdown, KIIT and KISS have taken initiatives to provide cooked lunch to the poor and destitute people of 13 districts of Odisha. Dr. Achyuta Samanta, who also a Member of Parliament from Kandhamal, is personally supervising this work. The districts where the initiative has been started are: Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Kalahandi, Balangir, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Sundargarh, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Kandhamal, Boudh, Ganjam, and Gajapati. Staff members of the respective district have been engaged in the food distribution in these district headquarters with the support of district administrations. Some staff of KIIT & KISS had requested Dr. Samanta to allow them to bear the cost of the cooked food. After permission from him, they are bearing the cost of the cooked food.
Dr. Samanta also instructed his staff members to distribute cooked food in Bhubaneswar. KIIT & KISS are providing cooked food in lunch and dinner in Buddha Nagar Leprosy Colony, Mancheswar Jagannath Leprosy colony, Keharinagar Swapna Trust and Blind Association in Satyanagar. The food distribution was started from 5th May 2021 and will continue till 19th May, the last day of lockdown.
Ms Kalinga