Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday informed that the state government would provide night meal at Aahar centres operating on the premises of hospital campuses across the state from January 1 next year.
Patnaik’s announcement came after he chaired a review meeting of the Aahar scheme at the state secretariat this afternoon.
According to the discussion at the meeting, the night feeding facilities will start in 54 Aahar centres operating in hospital campus.
The meeting decided to introduce donation system in order to encourage the participation of people in the scheme.
People, those who are interested, can provide foods to poor on the occasion of birthdays, marriages, marriage anniversaries and death anniversaries of their dear ones through the Aahar centres.
Sources said that the donations will be received through online mode only and it will be made 100 per cent tax-free.
Currently, only 76 municipal areas in the state have the Aahar centres providing a meal at Rs 5. The state government will set up such centres in the remaining 32 municipal areas in the state.
With these new facilities, about 1 lakh people in the state will get food at subsidised rate.
Ms Kalinga