Post News Network
Cuttack, March 15: The recently-announced Aahar meal scheme for the urban poor in five cities of the state by the government has left the residents of the silver city doubtful over the motive and success of the ‘populist’ scheme.
According to the scheme, the government would provide rice and dalma for Rs 5 to urban poor in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela.
Dr Abhimanyu Behera, a resident of Link Road, believes the scheme has been announced to garner votes.
“It is a populist scheme, which has been envisaged to garner votes” he said, adding the state government has not done enough groundwork before announcing the launch of the scheme.
Sisirkanta Mishra, a student from Dolamundai, echoes Abhimanyu’s view. The call to corporates to fund the scheme clearly indicates that there is a lack of vision on the part of the state government, Mishra said. “The scheme
would be a huge burden on the state’s dwindling coffers and would affect other welfare schemes as funds would be diverted from there to run the
outlets,” opined Mihir Behera, another resident of Link Road.
Even as the state government is unable to utilise funds meant for welfare schemes, diversion of funds for the new scheme, if it happens, would defeat the purpose, Mihir added.
However, not everyone is pessimistic about the scheme. According to Raju Nayak, a tea-seller near Arundaya Market, the scheme would be helpful for people like him. “It will help us in saving money”, he said. But Nayak is not sure if the scheme would be properly implemented. “Mismanagement and corruption may deprive the needy of the scheme’s benefits,” he said.
Earlier, the Opposition parties had termed the scheme purely populist in nature. The state government certainly has a huge task at hand to ensure the scheme becomes a success like the Amma canteens in Tamil Nadu.