Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 17: The state government signed agreements with the Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) and Touchstone Foundation, a subsidiary of Akshya Patra Foundation, to implement the Rs 5 meal scheme in Cuttack city. As per the agreement, OMC will provide the funds as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), while Touchstone Foundation will implement it.
Sources said the state government expects each meal to cost Rs 20, out of which Rs 5 will be paid by the beneficiary and the rest by the OMC.
Aahar outlets will be opened at Badambadi bus stand, Sishu Bhawan Sqaure, Malgodown and SCB Medical, where the poor can get a meal for Rs 5. The initiative will commence from Utkal Diwas April 1.
Under the initiative, hot cooked meals (rice and dalma) will be served from 11 am to 3 pm everyday targeting 1,000 urban poor from each Aahaar outlet. The OMC will provide a total of Rs 1.18 crore for three months to meet the costs of transporting food, utensils, dish washers, generator sets, uniforms for the staff etc.
The scheme will be implemented in another four municipal corporation areas of Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela. In this regard, the state has approached Tata Steel, Nalco, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd and Steel Authority of India Ltd (Rourkela steel plant) to provide financial assistance for infrastructure.
The MoU was signed in the presence of steel minister Prafulla Mallik, Barabati MLA Debasish Samantaray, Cuttack MLA Prabhat Biswal, housing and urban development secretary G Mathivathanan, steel and mines secretary RK Sharma and Swami Pancharatna Das of Akshya Patra Foundation.
