By Bizodisha Bureau, Cuttack, March 16, 2015 :

Taking a cue from Tamil Nadu’a ‘Amma Canteen’, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on March 2 had announced this new populist programme to provide the poor in urban areas a lunch pack at Rs 5.

The menu of the vegetarian meal comprises plain rice and Dalma (a combination of lentil and vegetables). The meal would be made available at Badambadi Bus Stand, Sishu Bhawan, Mal Godam and SCB Medical College squares within the CMC boundary, officials said adding that the mid-day meal would be available between 11 AM to 3 PM.

About 4000 people are expected to be benefitted by the scheme, officials added. The market price of the mid-day meal is pegged at Rs 20.

According to the MoU, the state owned OMC has agreed to fund three-fourth of the cost of the food as part of its corporate social responsibility cost, an official release said. Every quarter, the OMC will spend Rs 54.06 lakh for the scheme. As an advance, the OMC will pay 1,18,60,000 to CMC. Besides, it will pay Rs 64 lakh as one time cost for transport, food cooking and distribution, salaries and dress of distributors, generator cost etc.

The state government is trying to also rope in private corporate houses to back the mid-day meal scheme for urban poor in other towns. It has already proposed Tata Steel, Nalco and Rourkela Steel Plant to support the “Aahar” scheme, the Release informed.

The state government earlier had announced to make necessary arrangement to provide food to at least 25,000 people each day.

Though the opposition has dubbed the new sop as a desperate attempt by the chief minister for an image makeover of his party charged with involvement in mega scams, an official insisted that these initiatives will ensure affordable cooked food in urban areas as part of food security measures.