Haryana launches four subsidised food canteens

The Haryana government has opened subsidised canteens in four districts under the ‘Antyodaya Aahaar Yojana’ to provide healthy, nutritious and hygienic food at affordable prices to all poor and needy persons.

Facts :

• The four districts in which subsidised canteens opened are Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar and Yamunanagar.
• The state government is planning to establish a total of 23 such canteens, one each at district headquarter.
• These subsidised canteens will serve food to registered construction workers and all other poor and needy persons at Rs. 10 whereas it would cost between Rs 60 and Rs 70 in the market.
• Each food packet will weigh 730 grams and shall contain 1150 calories will have four chapattis, rice, dal, cooked seasonal vegetables, curd or raita, green chutney and gur.
• Each food packet would cost Rs 20 out of which Rs 10 would be shared by Labour Department.
• Mobile food vans would be started at 23 convenient sites with large number of workers.
• Meals would be served in these canteens between 8 am and 2 pm, and the Department would pay special attention to quality of food served.

Antyodya Aahaar Yojana :

• The scheme was launched on the occasion of the Republic Day celebrations in Panchkula, Haryana.
• Its objective is to provide good quality of healthy and nutritious food at affordable lower costs to poor, homeless people who are officially designated to be below the poverty line (BPL status).
• Its primary beneficiaries are daily wage labourers, senior citizens, homeless and needy people, and underpaid factory workers.
• The cost of food per person has been kept under Rs. 10 as this programme to serve the needy lower economically unsound sections of the society.

By: Harman Sandhu