Chief Minister Hemant Soren's ambitious scheme Didi Kitchen, which has proved to be a lifeline for needy, poor, specially-abled, elderly and migrant workers since the lockdown was imposed across the country, has received appreciation from the Centre. During the corona crisis, the scheme which was launched on April 3 has served more than three crore meals to the needy.

In other States too, the scheme is being run, but in Jharkhand 7,000 Didi Kitchens have set an example of success. Union Rural Development Secretary NN Sinha recently described Chief Minister Didi Kitchen as noble and good initiative. The public welfare scheme now served more than three crore plates with plentiful and nutritious meals to poor and needy.

Didi Kitchens, started amid the lockdown, are run by self-help groups with the State government’s assistance to provide free meals to the poor and destitute people. The scheme is doing much better in aspirational districts such as Khunti and others.

The scheme runs under the State Livelihood Mission and is operated by the women of Sakhi Mandals, taking special care of hygiene parameters and providing wholesome meals to the beneficiaries.

Thousands of migrant workers, women, disabled and needy are being fed every day through CM Didi Kitchen in the Naxal-affected Khunti district and there is absolutely no problem in running it.

Even Chief Minister Soren had said that other states are adopting his ‘Mukhya Mantri Didi Kitchen’ concept to feed lakhs of people during the nationwide lockdown.

Sinha who was on his visit to State Capital reviewed the works done by Rural Development, Jharkhand at Project Bhavan. During the meeting the Sinha said that work done by the state government through MNREGA, JSLPS and other mediums is better, but in other sectors there is scope of performing much better.

Rural Development Secretary Aradhana Patnaik, MNREGA Commissioner Siddharth Tripathi, Ravi Ranjan, Special Secretary, Rural Development Department, Rajiv Kumar, CEO, JSLPS, Additional MNREGA Commissioner Manish Kumar and other officials were also present at the meeting.

 In the meeting rural secretary, Sinha said that the sisters of Sakhi Mandal need to be linked with the means of livelihood more quickly.

The work of livelihood promotion will have to be expedited. In this sequence, it is necessary to connect more and more Sakhi mandals with income-earning livelihoods. In the state, livelihood activities, including backyard poultry, should be done on a large scale.

 He appreciated the works of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana, National Rural Livelihoods Mission. The rural development secretary also appreciated the work of self help group members in masks and sanitizer preparations.