: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched his government’s much-hyped subsidised Aahar scheme on the occasion of the State’s Foundation Day on Wednesday.
The scheme was launched in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela in the first phase.
The Chief Minister launched the scheme in two towns — first at the Capital Hospital premises in Bhubaneswar followed by Government Hospital in Rourkela.
Four Aahar outlets each have been opened in five towns where meal consisting of rice and Dalma is being provided at a subsidised rate with financial assistance from three State run corporations and Tata Steel.
Each Aahar outlet will cater to a thousand people daily between 11 am and 3 pm. The interior walls of the outlets have been used to highlight various populist policies of the State government.
Although Opposition parties have been criticising the State government for launching the cheap meal scheme by seeking assistance from companies and not making budgetary provisions, the scheme seemed to evoke a good response from the people on the first day. The hospital staff were seen buying the meal.
The scheme is supported by Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) in Rourkela and Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) in Sambalpur. Tata Steel is sponsoring the scheme in Berhampur.
The State government asked the OMC to extend financial support to Bhubaneswar after Central public sector undertaking National Aluminium Company (NALCO) refused to support the scheme in Bhubaneswar.
Similarly OPGC and IDCO were roped in for Rourkela and Sambalpur after two other Central PSUs — Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited refused to extend their support to the Aahar scheme.
Each Aahar outlet will cater to one thousand people daily between
11 am and 3 pm
