On a mission to serve the poor

When poor patients are admitted to government hospitals, their attendants meet their daily requirements for the first few days on their own. But, after four days, they start sharing the food, breakfast, even tea of the patient. Later, the condition of the patient worsens as he or she does not take sufficient food in tune with the medicines he or she takes.

Keeping these things in mind, Sri Satya Sai (SSS) Nitya Narayana Seva Programme (NNSP) has started serving food for attendants in two major government hospitals -- one at Srikakulam and another at Adilabad. Under NNSP 325 attendants on an average are being given tokens every day in both hospitals around 10 a.m. and they are being served food on hospital premises between 11.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.

“For this we spend Rs. 6,000 per day, which will be contributed by our local devotees or from other places in the State. We will extend this to other hospitals in near future,” says S.G. Chalam, State president of SSS seva organisations. Mr. Chalam, who was here to oversee the renovation works of Rajahmundry Satya Sai Gurukulam, has said that under the NNSP, the volunteers of the organisation are arranging lunch and dinner carriages to helpless couples and individuals in all towns of the State which comes around 18,000 per day. He further explains that the NNSP was launched in 2005. Under the ‘Amritha Kalasam’ scheme, the SSS organisations will identify the poor who can prepare food on their own and hand over rice, pulses, oil and Rs.50 per day at their doorstep for vegetables and cooking purpose.

Under another scheme -- Deena Janodharana Pathakam --, 360 children, who do have fathers, are being taken care by the organisation. Replying to a question, Mr. Chalam has said that all the service programmes which have been launched by Sri Satya Sai are being run successfully.

Favorite fish dish for Non-Vegs

‘Cheerameenu’ sells like hot cake

For non-vegetarians, it is the time for the delicious ‘Cheerameenu’. Only people of Godavari districts, that too living on the banks of the river Godavari, know the taste of Cheerameenu. This popular fish variety is found in the Godavari water which flows from upper parts and catchment areas particularly from Sileru Dam every year.

Cheerameenu is of one inch size. The age of Cheerameenu would be only 20 days and fishermen and people from other communities sell the fish as petty vendors. “When reddish water enters river Godavari, all the fishermen on the banks of the river spread saris (cheerelu) on the water and catch this fish. “Catching small fish with the help of sari is an art,” said Sattiraju, a fisherman from Atreyapuram. He said that catching this particular fish variety with the help of net was impossible as they were small in size.

The fish are caught usually in the early hours of the day in June-July. A handful of Cheerameenu costs Rs.50 to Rs.100. “if we mix it with tamarind leaf and dal (chintachiguru pappu with small fish), it would be a mouth-watering dish,” said Jyothi Venkatrao, who likes fish varieties. According to S. Vijayakumar, orthopaedic of SAI hospitals, this fish is rich in calcium and it is best for children between 8 and 18 years of age and for people having arthritis. The fisheries department is reportedly thinking of banning catching of this Cheerameenu variety because this fresh water fish will increase fish tremendously in rivers and streams.