Aahar to take off sans Central help

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Mar 30: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s ambitious ‘Aahar’ scheme to provide lunch to the poor at Rs 5 in five urban centres will be launched on April 1 without financial assistance from the Central public sector undertakings.April 1 (Wednesday) happens to be the foundation day of Odisha when the Odisha Government will launch the scheme in five places in the first phase.This was announced by the Odisha Government on Monday evening after the Central PSUs – Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), National Aluminium Company (NALCO) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) backed out from the project.The State government had earlier requested the three PSUs to provide financial assistance of Rs.3 crore each per annum to support the scheme in Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela respectively, while Odisha Mining Corporation was asked to provide fund in Cuttack and Tata Steel was asked to extend help in Berhampur.However, the government had to make alternative arrangements after the three PSUs refused to provide funds to support the scheme under which the State Government intends to provide rice and Dal during lunch time to a total of 25,000 people in the five cities.In the changed circumstance, Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) will provide financial support to the scheme both in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) in Sambalpur, and Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) in Rourkela.Tata Steel will provide funds for the project in Berhampur as per the previous arrangement.According to a press release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Patnaik will formally launch the Aahar scheme at the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and at the Government Hospital in Rourkela on April 1.The food (rice and Dalma) for the people visiting the cities for their work will be provided at four crowded places each in the five urban places between 11 am and 3 pm.The final arrangements for the implementation of the scheme were discussed in detail by Patnaik at a high level meeting held at the State Secretariat.Interestingly, Patnaik will launch the scheme in Rourkela on April 1 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the city to attend a programme at the Rourkela Steel Plant.