Naveen launches Aahar in Odisha

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, April 1: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today launched the populist scheme ‘Aahar’ under which the State Government aims to provide rice and Dalma during lunch time to the poor at Rs.5 in five urban centres.Patnaik launched the scheme at an outlet opened at the Capital Hospital in the Capital city.He will also formally launch the scheme at the Government Hospital in Rourkela later in the day.Apart from Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, the scheme is also being launched simultaneously in Cuttack, Berhampur and Sambalpur on the occasion of Utkala Dibasa, the foundation day of the State.The cheap meals for the people visiting the cities for their work will be provided at four crowded places each in five cities of the State between 11 am and 3 pm every day.The Aahar scheme aims to provide cheap meals to a total of 25,000 people per day.In the first phase, the State Government will run the scheme in first cities and the same will be started in other urban areas in future. After the Central Government enterprises such as MCL, SAIL and NALCO backed out, the scheme is being financially supported by Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) in Sambalpur, and Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) in Rourkela.Tata Steel is supporting the scheme in Berhampur.