The KIIT and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) have decided to distribute food items, including green vegetables, daily to stray monkeys and other stray animals like cows and dogs.

The food packets would also be given to the stray monkeys inhabiting in different places in Bhubaneswar like Khandagiri, Dhauligiri, Shikharchandi hills and area around Nandankanan to help them cope with unprecedented hardship due to COVID-19 outbreak.

The two institutions will also provide cooked food daily to other stray animals, including dogs, cows, etc. living in areas from Nalco square to KIIT and KISS campuses in Patia. Dr Achyuta Samanta, Founder, KIIT and KISS has started the campaign by offering food to monkeys in Shikharchandi hill.

Earlier, it was decided to distribute food packets containing flattened rice, sugar and dry food to nearly 40,000 needy and poor families and daily wage labourers, specially their children, in and around Bhubaneswar City thrice a week for a minimum period of 20 days.

"Dry food can provide nutrition to growing children residing in slum areas," Dr Samanta said while launching the food distribution programme from KIIT today. The staff of KIIT will be engaged in these activities with the help of police.