Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 2: A meal for just Rs 5? Incredible in cities and towns. But such a pro-poor scheme has been conceived by the?Orissa government which would soon provide food to the needy in five major cities across the state. The new scheme has been imaginatively named Aahar.
“The economy meal consisting of rice and dalma at lunchtime will cost Rs 5 for the poor people from?April 1,” the government announced Monday.
‘‘The poor people in five urban pockets namely Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela will be provided the meal,’’ a state government spokesman said after attending a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Stating that poor people visiting different cities and towns for various works faced difficulties in getting food due to high price, the spokesman said the state government would open Aahar centres at different bus stands, railway stations, hospitals and other crowded places. Arrangements are being made at the Aahar stalls to cook food for around 25,000 persons a day.
The Food supplies and consumer welfare department and the housing and urban development department have been asked to co-ordinate with each other to provide infrastructure and other required facilities at the designated stalls.
Sources indicated that experienced non-government organisations (NGOs) will be assigned the responsibility of running these stalls.
Meanwhile, the food inspectors of the concerned areas will inspect, on a regular basis, the quality of the food and hygiene at the stalls. The state government also said various corporate houses will render help for implementing the scheme properly.
The high-level meeting was attended by development commissioner, chief secretary and other officials.