The Mukhyamantri Dal Bhaat Yojana initiated by the State Government and re-started in April 2015 is yet to begin at the evening hours as assured by the Government and concerned authorities. According to authorities it may take a couple of months to begin the service at night also.
Citing details about the expansion of Dal Bhaat centres, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Additional Secretary Basant Kumar Das said, "We will soon expand the timing of Dal Bhaat Kendras to serve poor people in night too as the response towards the scheme is very positive and the entire procedure will take some time as the files are under process."
The Dal Bhaat centres were closed after the Central Government denied providing rice at subsidised rate but seeing the response of the people it was again re-launched in April 2015. Mukhya Mantri Dal-Bhaat Yojna is an initiative of Jharkhand Government to provide subsidised food to the poor people in the State.
According to Das, presently over 370 Dal Bhaat centres are operating in all the 24 districts of the State. Although the quality of food served under the scheme is of modest standards but the scheme is providing meal to thousands of poor people at a nominal rate of Rs5 per plate.
Notably, Dal Bhaat Kendra at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) is facing several challenges. "At RIMS, patients from various sections of society come for treatment and at times we have to manage huge rush and sometime even the number of customers exceed the allotted quota. Presently at one centre 380 people can be served food but often the limit is crossed here. Since the scheme has been re-launched, the quota to serve people is limited to 380," said Arvind Tiwari, manager of the RIMS Dal Bhat Kendra.
On the issue of fixing quota Das said, "We actually had to fix the limit to 380 plates as we received complaints from many centres that the food is not consumed regularly on a wide scale. But if in certain places like hospitals there is a requirement for more food to serve people, we will definitely look into the matter of further exceeding the quota. Presently we are not familiar with the situation of consumption at RIMS Dal Bhaat centre."
The places allotted by the authorities to the NGO to run Dal Bhaat Kendras were according to the requirement so that maximum people can avail the benefit of this particular scheme. Presently in the State capital Dal Bhaat centres is functioning at various places like RIMS, Kutchery, Sadar hospital, Seva Sadan, Ranchi station, A G More, Birsa chowk, Booty More.