Bhubaneswar: Subsidised cooked food canteens Aahar, which were closed since the cyclone Fani devastated the capital city of Bhubaneswar on May 3, resumed services from Wednesday.
The service was stopped as the centralised kitchen at Nakhara suffered a massive damage due to the summertime cyclone so also some canteens in the city.
The Aahar scheme is a subsidised food programme of the State Government. The actual cost of the Dalma-rice meal is around Rs 20, while people pay only Rs 5 for it. The State Government extends Rs 15 as subsidy per plate to provide food for poor.
The capital city has 11 Aahar centres which serve 7,500 people per day. Beneficiaries mostly include patients, attendants of patients, construction workers, labourers, rickshaw pullers, auto drivers, street children, needy students, destitute and rag pickers.
The cooked hot foods are being provided to the beneficiaries from 11 am to 3 pm each day, except Sunday. The night meals are served from 7 pm to 9 pm in all the Aahar centres located in hospital campuses only.
