The scarcity of potato and spiraling prices of vegetables have badly affected the ambitious, unique and much propagated scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Dal Bhat Yojna’ started by Arjun Munda led government in 2011. Rice, Dal and aloo chokha/ sabji which used to be the some of the important items of the menu of the scheme have been changed at many centers and aloo chokha is replaced by radish and brinjal. While in some centers where chokha is still served in the menu has curtails its quantity to a great extend.
According to members of self-help groups engaged in Dal Bhat Yojna with the skyrocketing prices of vegetables including onion and potato it has become very diffcult to serve the fixed menu.
“We are opting for vegetables like pumpkin, papayas, and radish as alternatives to potatoes in our Dal Bhat Yojna as the crisis is acute. looking at the present scenario it seems that in near future vegetables will get disappear from our menu as we get only rice and dal from the Central Government at subsidize rate and not vegetables,” said Uday Shankar who run Dal-Bhat center at Town hall.
Mukhiyamantri Dal Bhat Yojna is very popular among the Below Poverty line (BPl) families as it is serving them stomach full meal at cheapest rate. Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda launched this scheme on August 15, 2011, with the objective of providing lunch to BPl families it was decided that the food will be provided to them at a nominal rate, Rs 5. But the soaring prices of commodities are now prompting the managers to opt another thought about the scheme.
Shruti Devi who is looking after the Dal-bhat yojna center at Sadar Hospital said, “It is getting very difficult to carry out this scheme as potatoes are as essential as rice and Dal but acute crisis and high prices are eating into our funds. If the situation remains the same then it will not be possible for us to continue the scheme in long run. Government should look into the matter seriously and take some strong steps in controlling inflated prices.”
Meanwhile, families who acquire food from these centers are also not pleased with the quantity of meal served as it is not proving beneficial for them now in satisfying their hunger.
A rickshaw puller Dinesh who came to have his lunch in Town hall situated Dal Bhat center complaining on the quantity of vegetables said, “The vegetables which are being served is so less that it gets over in only two bites only. It is getting pathetic every day as whole day we work quite hard but have to return home empty stomach.”