With unprecedented rise in prices of pulses, some of the Annapurna Dal Bhat Centres in the State capital offering a plate of Dal-Bhat (pulse-rice) at just Rs5, have been hit hard.
But despite the prices of pulses shot up to Rs200 a kg from Rs60, the Annapurna Dal Bhat centres have still kept their rates unchanged but surely the quality of food had suffered heavily.
Under the Annapurna Dal-bhat scheme, over 20,000 people are taking stomach-full of food at Rs5 on daily basis in Chhattisgarh. Aimed at providing food to the poor and needy people on cheap rate at Rs5, the Food and Civil Supplies department had started this scheme in 2004.
According to official information, at present, 145 Dal-Bhat centres are functioning at different public places including bus stands, railway stations, hospitals and court premises. These centres are operating with the cooperation of social institutions, women self-help groups and social workers.
The Food Department supplies rice at Rsper kg, 10 kg gram at Rs 5 per kg, 10 kg Dal at Rs10 per kg and 5 kg Amrit salt free of cost to these Dal-bhat centres, as per their eligibility.
A visit at around nine years old Dal Bhat Kendra located in front of Central Jail proved that the local organization is struggling hard to manage the centre and keep the visitors happy by offering a plate just at Rs5 with a recipe including pulses.
Reports say that several Annapurna Dal-Bhat Centres have been using adulterated pulses as it is extremely difficult for them to provide a full plate food with cooked pulses.
“For the past six months the government has stopped providing the Arhar Dal. Earlier, we used to purchase good quality Arhar Dal within Rs40 per kilo everyday but now we are using sub-standard quality of the pulse available at Rs90 per kilo,” said a Staff of the Dal Bhat Centre requesting his name be withheld.
“Our centre is opened from 11 am to 8 pm wherein the rush of customers hailing from different economical background is huge. In such circumstances, it is important to offer the same delicious meal. So, we are adding water in the prepared dal,” added the Staff.
Similarly, the Supervisor of the Dal-Bhat Centre at Collectorate said they are habituated of such rate fluctuations of pulses and trying his level best to maintain the food standard.
“When Government is not giving us the dal, it is our responsibility to bear the expense. There is no other option,” said Supervisor Vinod Sona.
Meanwhile, the customers accustomed of taking meals in these Dal Bhat Centers seem least bothered with the problem. “The lunch offered here is prepared and served in a hygienic ambience. It is tasty as well. Unless, the food quality is not deteriorating, we are not concerned with the high rate of pulses,” said Rahul Das, a Property Dealer eating Dal-Bhat in the Centre attached to the Central Jail compound.
Asked about the steps taken by the District Administration regarding the issue, an official at the Food Department informed they are authorized to distribute Below Poverty line (BPl) category quintals of Arwa Rice at Rs2 per kilo every month to the Dal-Bhat Centres and are helpless for pulses as its supply is stopped under the Public Distribution Scheme.
Sources claimed there are around nine Dal-Bhat Centres available in the state capital presently.
On the other side, concerned officers at the Food and Drug Administration Department are unaware about the adulteration in dal.
“We have to keep a check on all kinds of Mid-Day Meal and Dal-Bhat Centres but no recent case of adulteration has been reported yet,” said an officer of the Department.