One of the flagship schemes of the Government to prove day’s meal to the poor at just five rupees is a hit across the State. However, the ‘Daal-Bhat’ centres across the capital city seem to be facing severe crisis of potable water. Due to the crisis people running the centres have to fetch drinking water from adjacent facilities carrying buckets on their heads.
The centres get subsidised rice, soya beans, pulses and other stuff from Government but the authorities seem to have overlooked providing them with clean drinking water, which is a must for maintaining hygiene there.
Sunita Devi, who works at the ‘Dal-Bhat’ centre located adjacent to Collectorate near Kutchery Chowk said, “I have to carry water on my head from at least half kilometre which continues for at least ten times in a day.”
Similarly, Manisha Devi working at a ‘Dal-Bhat’ unit has to toil hard for water as there is no arrangement made in regards of water located opposite Nagarmal Modi Seva Sadan Hospital at lake Road. “If water would have been available then we could have prepared the food an hour earlier and might have earned more,” she said.
Urban Development Minister CP Singh cited ignorance on the issue and said, “I am not informed about it and will do my best to provide solution to the matter once it will come to me.”
Notably, the Government is going to reinstate the ‘Dal Bhat Yojna’ with the name of ‘Mukhya Mantri Canteen’ scheme. “Few trucks have been bought to make mobile canteens and for now are kept in Jamshedpur,” said, District Supply Officer, Ranchi, Narendra Gupta. Mobile Canteens offering meal at Rs 5 to be seen across different cities in Jharkhand.
According to the plan meals worth Rs 15 is to be given at Mukhya Mantri Canteen and the Government will pay Rs 10 out of 15 charged by the vendor of the canteen. The remaining five will be paid by the customer.
It is noteworthy that 300-400 poor people everyday eat at each centre of Dal Bhat who generally is a daily wage labourer or a rickshaw puller.
“So far, I have not seen the progress report but district administration has received the amount to carry out the work. As per the plan, the district administration will provide furniture, ensure proper water supply at the place and will put up plaster of Paris, as per the requirement and renovation module,” Ranchi DC, Manoj Kumar.