Coronavirus: Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya’s online delivery of essentials gaining ground

As the government struggles to strictly enforce the lockdown, an initiative by Bengaluru South MP, L S Tejasvi Surya, to home deliver essential items in Kathriguppe may come in handy.

Launched on April 4, the ‘MP COVID-19 Home Delivery’ works as a simple delivery programme but connects residents to nearby stores instead of one giant warehouse.

A major boost to the programme was given by delivery service provider Dunzo which has deployed 30 of its delivery boys, who locate the nearest shop from the residence of a consumer who has placed an order, a spokesperson said.

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Residents can call or WhatsApp to 08061914960, giving details of their grocery, food and medicine requirements. The call centre will generate a ticket, which is forwarded to a home delivery partner nearest to the residence of the consumer.

“We distributed pamphlets to residents and received 100 calls per day. The number has gone up to 200 as more people are opting to place orders,” the spokesperson added.

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The numbers seem moderate for 12,000 households in Katriguppe, but those managing the scheme expect the numbers to go up. "It’s a good phase. We are learning and adopting new measures every day. Some people started placing orders on whims. So we had to cap the orders to three per household. Some people wanted the product from a particular company. We convinced them to accept whatever is available,” he said.

It's unclear if the project could be extended to other areas. Surya could not be reached for comment.