The State Government has started Aahaar centers in four places of Keonjhar district.
Rural Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra inaugurated the subsidised food distribution center in the District Headquarters Hospital campus on Thursday, Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak inaugurated the other three Aahaar centers in Joda and Barbil on Friday.
Each center will provide 500 vegetarian meals including rice and a vegetarian curry (dalma) at a rate of `5 per meal between 11am and 3 pm. Each person coming in queue is given only one token.
Meanwhile, heavy rush is noticed in the Aahaar centers to grab a meal at the cheapest rate. The State Government has claimed to provide `15 as subsidy against the cost of `20 spent per meal. The number of meals and opening of new Aahaar centers will be expanded considering the demand in future, Minister Patra announced in the meeting. Another Aahaar center will soon be opened in Anandpur too, he added.
Rungta Mines limited, Alluwalia Mines, Mesco and Essel Mining have contributed lakhs of rupees as donation for the purpose. A society has been formed for the management of each Aahaar Kendra.
District Collector N Thirumalla Nayak, Sadar and Telkoi MlAs and local MP were present in the inauguration ceremony in Keonjhar, Joda and Barbil.