Odisha CM Patnaik sanctions Rs 20 cr for Aahaar programme in state

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sanctioned Rs 20 crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the state-level 'Aahaar' committee, an official said on Thursday.

'Aahaar' is an Odisha government initiative for subsidised meals to the needy in urban areas and the Aahaar committee has been formed to manage Aahaar centres serving meals at Rs 5 in different parts of the state.

As per the official, from 2015-16 to 2021-22, the Odisha government has sanctioned Rs 228.76 crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the implementation of the Aahaar programme.

The Aahaar programme was launched on April 1 in 2015 on the auspicious day of 'Utkal Divas' by CM Naveen Patnaik. The initiative was earlier piloted in five Municipal Corporations - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela- with 21 Aahaar Kendras.

The objective of the programme is to provide hot cooked meals - steamed rice and dalma to needy people at Rs 5.

As per the state government, after the successful implementation of the pilot programme, after completing its first anniversary, it was expanded to cover all 30 districts in 73 towns.

Patnaik had dedicated the 100th Aahaar Kendra on April 16 in 2016 to the people of Odisha.

Currently, as per the government official, 158 Aahaar Kendras are operational covering all the 114 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Odisha.

From December 31, 2018 meals are being served to the attendants of the patients and other needy people during the night also in the Aahaar Kendras located in and around hospitals, the official said

Department of Housing and Urban Development, Government of Odisha is the nodal Department to implement Aahaar Programme in the state.