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Shiv Bhojan thali to be served at ₹5 for six more months in Maharashtra
The state government has decided to distribute Shiv Bhojan thali, the staple food scheme for poor, at ₹5 for six more months. Under the scheme, launched in January
The state government has decided to distribute Shiv Bhojan thali, the staple food scheme for poor, at ₹5 for six more months. Under the scheme, launched in January this year, the original cost of a thali is ₹10 but was reduced by half due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shiv Bhojan is a pet project of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
State government serves nearly one lakh plates a day through 890 centres run by private players and social organisations. The centre owners are paid ₹50 a plate, with the government bearing the remaining cost of ₹45 a plate.
“Immediately after the outbreak of the pandemic, we reduced the rate by half to ensure that the poor do not sleep hungry. We have been serving more than a lakh plates daily and the total number of plates distributed under the scheme recently touched two crore,” said Chhagan Bhajbal, food and civil supplies minister.
The state has also decided to increase the number of centres and even number of plates allotted per centre. “We have received applications from many such establishments and organisations. A committee under district collectors scrutinises the applications by ensuring that they have existing structure and a separate area to serve the plates under the scheme before allotting the centre. The centres are at public places like state transport stands, railway stations and market places. Every centre is allotted around 400-500 plates per day,” said an official from food and civil supplies department.
State government bears the cost of ₹13.5 crore a month towards the implementation of the scheme.
Meanwhile, state cabinet, on Thursday also decided to waive off property tax and house tax to the ex-servicemen and their widows for the primary property they own in rural areas. The properties owned by the ex-servicemen living in urban areas have already been given the waiver.
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