JAGATSINGHPUR: When Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the subsidised meal scheme Aahaar, the programme was lauded by the urban poor in Jagatsinghpur district. However, they are now forced to return from the Aahaar centres without having meal despite purchasing the `5 tokens to eat hot meal that includes steamed rice and dalma.
Three Aahaar outlets were opened in Badapadia and on the medical campus in Paradip town and another on the medical campus in Jagatsinghpur town with an aim to provide cheap meals to 1,500 people at every outlet on a daily basis. The outlets remain open from 11 am to 3 pm and people have to buy tokens of `5 to eat the meal. Sources said instead of 1,500 people, only 500 are being fed at these outlets every day. Due to shortage of food, people are returning without having a meal.
On Tuesday, a mason, Manoj Swain, purchased a token from Jagatsinghpur Medical Aahaar outlet but by the time his turn came at around 2 pm, there was no food. Similarly, a daily wager, Dhaneswar Das, did not get food from the same outlet despite having a token. With no official present at the outlet to superv the se distribution of food, the needy people have no one to complain.Executive Officer of Jagatsinghpur Municipality, Bikash Sethy, said he has received allegations of people with tokens being denied food at Aahaar outlets and officials would be deployed to supervise the process.