Rs 10 Meal For Poor In Maharashtra, Govt To Launch It On January 26

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s ambitious Rs 10 meal scheme is all set to be launched across the state on January 26, reported The Indian Express.

The project was cleared by the state cabinet on December 24. Following this, the government recently released guidelines and details of the scheme.

According to the State Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department, the Rs 10 meal scheme or ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme will be launched on an experimental basis in every district of Maharashtra.

“The process to select the lunch homes as per the criteria has already been initiated and will be completed soon. We are planning to launch the scheme on January 26,” Principal Secretary Mahesh Pathak was quoted by the media.

The meal meant for the poor will comprise of two chapatis (50 grams each), a vegetable bowl (100 grams), rice (150 grams) and dal (100 grams). Each district in the state will have at least one centre for serving the meal, which will be opened at restaurants, mess or an NGO/SHG office at places like government hospitals or offices, bus stands, and railway station.

The lunch homes will operate from 12 pm to 2 pm. Each lunch home will be able to serve 75 to 150 meals.

In the first phase of the project, one ‘Shiv Bhojanalaya’ will be opened in each district and is expected to cost Rs 6.48 crore for the next three months. The meal is estimated to cost Rs 35 in rural areas and Rs 50 in cities. While the customers only have to pay Rs 10 for the meal, the government will pay the rest.

The Rs 10 meal scheme was one of the key promises of Shiv Sena in the run upto the recent Assembly elections. It is also part of the Common Minimum Programme of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

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