Maha lockdown: ‘200K free meals for poor not enough’

Even as the state announced it would provide 200,000 free meals under its Shiv Bhojan Thali programme to the poor affected by the curbs, food security activists say it is too little considering the number of people who are likely to be hit

Even as the state announced it would provide 200,000 free meals under its Shiv Bhojan Thali programme to the poor affected by the curbs, food security activists say it is too little considering the number of people who are likely to be hit.

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There are more than 900 centres and 100,000 subsidised meals are being distributed everyday. The state is planning to increase the centres as well as the ramp up the quota of thalis given to each centre to accommodate another 100,000 meals.

Social activist Ulka Mahajan said, “We have a population of more than two crore in the state which is extremely poor and will have no work due to these new curbs. This scheme will hardly cover one per cent of them. Also, we have seen that these thalis are available just in talukas and it is not possible for those living in far-flung villages to come there owing to lack of transportation.”

She said that she had come across instances of manipulation. “In Roha district at Raigad, we saw two centres open, while five were registered on paper. This phenomenon is visible across Maharashtra.”

The Shiv Bhojan Thali is an ambitious scheme unveiled by the Uddhav Thackeray government on January 26, 2020 to provide nutritious meal at highly subsidized rates of ₹10 to the poor. It was modelled on the lines of Amma Canteen of Tamil Nadu and Indira Canteen scheme of Karnataka. The meal consists of a bowl of rice, lentil, vegetable dish and two rotis. Ever since the 2020 lockdown, the state has slashed the rate of this thali to ₹5. Though the actual cost of the food will be ₹50 and ₹45 for urban and rural population, respectively, the rest of the money is subsidized by the state government. Every chosen centre is given a quota to feed 75 to 300 daily depending on the location and people staying in the vicinity. The state does not give them any food materials and they are paid for the number of thalis they give daily.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has called the thali scheme a money-making venture for the Shiv Sena. “The contractors of this scheme are all Sena activists who specialise in manipulating figures by inflating the number of beneficiaries,” said BJP legislator Ram Kadam. “On one hand, the government is asking people not to step out of their houses and on the other, they will be distributing meals to citizens.”

The Shiv Sena said the opposition parties have become very negative towards government schemes. “The opposition needs to understand that the government is trying its best to feed the poor. We have allowed parcel service for the Shiv Bhojan Thali to prevent crowding,” said Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande. There are estimates that it will cost the exchequer at least ₹150 crore this month.

Vilas Patil, secretary, food, civil supplies and consumer protection, said more centres will be added. “We will ensure that no one is turned away. We had received complaints against some centres that were flouting rules and took action against them.”