Bhubaneswar, Jan. 12: The state government today decided to extend its cheap meal scheme - Aahar - to all district headquarters.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today spoke to all the 30 district collectors through videoconferencing to give final shape to the populist scheme.
At present, the scheme is being implemented in five cities - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Rourkela. In the subsequent phase, it will include all the 103 urban local bodies in the state.
Under the scheme, the government is providing rice and dalma (a combination of dal and vegetables) at Rs 5 to more than 22,000 people at 21 centres in the five cities. It intends to add nearly 30,000 meals at the 29 district headquarters.
Official sources indicated the government would launch the scheme on March 5, coinciding with the birth centenary of Biju Patnaik, in whose name the ruling party has been founded.
On December 29, The Telegraph had published a report - "Govt readies Aahar for one lakh people: scheme to be expanded from March 1" giving details of the government's plan.
Urban development minister Pushpendra Singh Deo said the chief minister directed the officials to get the Aahar kendras (cheap meal serving centres) ready by February 25.
All the infrastructure such as sheds, drinking water, sanitation, transport and training to the employees would be ready by that time.
Official sources said 57 centres would be set up in 29 districts (barring Sambalpur) across the state. These centres would serve 30,300 meals every day.
Singh Deo said societies had been registered in almost all the districts and implementing agencies had been selected. "The societies are in touch with their respective funding agencies," he said.
At present, the scheme is being financed by the state-run public sector undertakings such as the Odisha Mining Corporation, Odisha Power Generation Corporation and the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation.
They were roped in after the central public sector enterprises such as Nalco and the MCL had backed out allegedly under pressure from the BJP leaders.
Sources said the cost per meal comes around Rs 15 and the meal is heavily subsidised.
On December 23, a preliminary discussion on extension of the scheme to all the urban local bodies was held with district collectors through videoconferencing. Sources said the district collectors were asked to find out financing agencies and come with a concrete plan.
